WWE Vault Grab Bag V
Commentators: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Lord Alfred Hayes, David Crockett, Jim Ross

It’s time to dip back into the randomness that is the WWE Vault (and various other WWE Youtube channels) as there is a lot of stuff I’d like to see. Today we’re going to look at some more random entries, which could be a mixture of matches and/or segments. Either way, they should be from all over the place so let’s get to it.

From a WWE house show in Jonesboro, Arkansas, August 26, 2017.

John Cena vs. Samoa Joe

From what I can find, this is only one of two matches they ever had in WWE, with the other one coming the previous night. Joe powers him down to start and Cena starts bouncing a lot. A headlock slows Cena down again before running the ropes, with Cena hitting a shoulder. Cena’s headlock doesn’t work very well as Joe backs him into the corner for the quick shot to the face.

Joe sends him outside and then kicks him down back inside, meaning we get what looks like a Hulk Hogan pose of all things. A quick AA attempt is blocked and Joe’s enziguri gets two, meaning it’s time to get frustrated. Joe puts him down again for two more and knocks Cena into the corner, leaving Joe to walk around for a bit. Cena avoids a charge in the corner, only to get elbowed in the face.

Joe misses the backsplash though and Cena starts the usual comeback. The AA is countered with a grab of the rope and the referee gets knocked outside. Cena gets the STF for the unseen tap and of course lets go, allowing Joe to get in a low blow. Joe grabs a chair but Cena ducks and hits the AA for the clean pin at 10:00.

Rating: C+. This was more of a “whoa that match happened” and that’s not a bad way to go. It’s one of the appeals of a house show as a few fans got to see the match, even if it was rather basic. That’s all it needed to be and while I could have gone with a far bigger stage, I’ll take getting to see them have a decent match.

From a WWF house show in Long Island, New York, October 24, 1997.

Tag Team Titles: D-Generation X vs. Legion Of Doom

LOD is defending and Michaels tells a fan to suck it as Animal shoves HHH into the corner to start. Animal powers both of them down at the same time as Chyna is not pleased on the floor. We settle back down to Hawk slamming Michaels, who bails outside, with HHH and Chyna massaging the back of his tights. Back in and Michaels bails straight to the floor, only to get gorilla pressed by in by Animal, where Hawk clotheslines him right back to the floor for a big pratfall.

We settle down a bit with Animal grabbing a headlock and grinding Michaels down again as it’s all LOD thus far. The bearhug goes on but Michaels gets out and hands it off to HHH, who gets bearhugged as well. That’s broken up a bit faster and it’s a high/low to take over on Animal. HHH knocks Animal into the corner and Michaels comes back in with a sleeper. A belly to back suplex puts Michaels down but he makes the tag at the same time, allowing HHH to come in for a sleeper of his own.

It’s already back to Michaels for a front facelock but he accidentally ax handles a cheating HHH. The tag brings Hawk back in and the fans certainly seem to approve. Everything breaks down and Michaels gets in a belt shot to Hawk for the pin and the titles at 13:01. And hang on as here’s another referee to say what happened so no title change, as it’s a DQ instead. Actually the brawl keeps going and NOW it’s a DQ. Ok then.

Rating: B-. This was a fun match and that’s all I can ask for with a match like this one. What mattered the most here was that they had two teams who were both working hard and it felt like a big match. You don’t get that kind of thing very often and it was better than I was expecting. Michaels and HHH were a good team in their own right and the LOD had so much experience that they could do this kind of match so easily. I’d call this a nice surprise and it actually lived up to some of its hype.

Post match Chyna gets in and jumps Hawk, leaving DX to have to break up a Doomsday Device. Michaels chairs Animal but Hawk takes it away and sends Michaels running to wrap it up. Somehow DX wins on a DQ, presumably because the LOD beat them up too much. You know, instead of the belt shot which was called.

From a WWE house show in Leeds, England, November 8, 2021.

Walter vs. Cesaro

That would of course be Gunther before the name change. Cesaro backs him up against the ropes to start and gets shoved away. Walter misses the big chop and it’s off to a test of strength, with Walter actually getting the better of things. Cesaro’s headlock takeover puts Walter down for a change and grinds away for a little while. Back up and they trade the shoulders, with Cesaro’s jumping version working a bit better.

A shot to the throat puts Cesaro down though and we lower the pace. The double arm crank goes on, with Walter knocking him down to cut off an escape bid. The chinlock has Cesaro in more trouble and this one stays on for a good while. Cesaro fights up and knocks Walter down, so naturally the fans want the Swing. That’s not happening so they strike it out instead until Walter hits the dropkick.

The powerbomb gets two and it’s off to the sleeper to put Cesaro down. That’s broken up in a hurry though and Cesar scores with Swiss Death. Now the Swing goes on and Cesaro follows with the Sharpshooter, sending Walter over to the rope. The springboard uppercut is blocked though and Walter kicks him in the face. A whip into the post sets up a German suplex into the top rope splash to give Walter the pin at 14:27.

Rating: B. This started slowly and the chinlock in the middle hurt it a bit, but this wound up being quite the hard fought match. That’s what the match needed to be as you kind of know what you’re getting when you have Cesaro vs. Walter. Cesaro wasn’t about to go over the up and coming monster, but they had a good fight here and that’s what it was supposed to be.

From a WWE house show in Dublin, Ireland, June 18, 2005.

Smackdown World Title: John Cena vs. John Bradshaw Layfield vs. Kurt Angle

Cena is defending and a certain Steve Austin is guest referee. This is also a rare outdoor match and it’s a cool visual with various buildings and trees in the background. JBL yells about being a former champion before the match and shadow boxes/kicks while Angle makes his entrance. We’re clipped to Angle elbowing Cena as JBL is down on the floor. A backdrop sends Angle outside so JBL is in to boot Cena in the face.

We’re clipped a few times to Cena fighting out of JBL’s sleeper but a big boot drops him again. We’re clipped again to Cena superplexing JBL and making the comeback. Cena initiates the finishing sequence and hits the FU for two on Angle. We’re clipped again to JBL countering the ankle lock and sending Angle outside. Cena loads up the finishing sequence on JBL but Angle is back in with an accidental belt shot to Austin.

Angle is kicked outside and the Clothesline From JBL drops Cena, with another referee running in to count two. Cena kicks a chair into JBL’s face so Angle grabs the chair, only to get cut off with a Stunner. Austin pokes JBL’s eye into the AA to retain the title at about 5:00 shown. I’m not going to rate it due to the cuts but it felt like a house show match with Austin there to spice it up a bit.

Post match Austin and Cena celebrate.

From WCW Saturday Night, May 14, 1994.

WCW World Title: Ricky Steamboat vs. Ric Flair

For the vacant title after they went to a draw at Spring Stampede. They go to the mat to start and Steamboat grabs an armbar, with Flair having to escape. Steamboat reverses a headlock into a hammerlock but Flair is back with the half crab. That’s broken up as well and Steamboat grabs a gorilla press to send Flair to the apron, where a suplex brings him back inside.

Cue Colonel Robert Parker with a briefcase full of money as Flair is sent outside again. Back in and Steamboat drops him with a shoulder but runs into a right hand to the ribs. Flair knocks him into the corner and slowly hammers away as we take a break. We come back with Flair sending him outside and then back inside for some near falls. Steamboat can’t armdrag his way out of an armbar but he can chop the skin off of Flair’s chest.

An atomic drop out of the corner gets Flair out of trouble and he grabs a chinlock. Yes he puts his feet on the ropes and no that shouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever. Back up and they chop it out again with Steamboat getting the better of things, allowing Flair to be rocked even more than usual. Steamboat’s dropkick misses though, as does Flair’s big elbow drop. Flair is back with a poke to the eye and Steamboat needs a breather on the floor. Back in and a sunset flip gives Steamboat two but he charges into a boot in the corner.

As usual Flair goes up top and as usual he gets caught and superplexed for two. Flair plants him down for a breather though and we slow the pace a bit. A poke to the eye lets Flair grab a sleeper, with Flair even on Steamboat’s back. That’s finally broken up and Steamboat chops away again as we take another break.

We come back again with Steamboat winning another chop off (it works, so keep going back to it) but getting his dive punched out of the air. Back in and Flair misses a knee drop, allowing Steamboat to wrap the knee around the post. The Figure Four has Flair in trouble, with Heenan screaming how to break out. Flair finally makes the rope (now what Heenan said to do but it did work) so Steamboat is right back on the leg. Steamboat chops him so much that Flair falls down for two and we take a third break.

We come back again with Steamboat missing something off the top and they’re both down again. Steamboat comes up favoring his own knee, allowing Flair to grab a delayed vertical suplex. His own leg is hurt as well though and it’s another double down. Flair is up and on Steamboat’s leg, with the Figure Four going on. The ropes makes it even worse, but the referee finally catches Flair to break it up. Steamboat knocks him back down but Flair is still up first, only to get caught with a chop. A gorilla press brings him crashing down but they’re back up with another collision.

Steamboat’s sleeper is countered into a belly to back suplex so he goes up again, with Steamboat top rope superplexing him for a crash. A big chop off the top gives Steamboat two and he tries the high crossbody but hits both Flair and the referee. Back up and they trade rollups for two each as they’re somehow still moving at a high speed about 45 minutes into the match. Steamboat tries a leapfrog but seems to get headbutted low, giving Flair the pin and the title at 47:06. Parker never got involved at all.

Rating: A-. There’s a reason these two wrestled each other so many times for the better part of twenty years. Sweet goodness this was amazing stuff with both guys staying crisp throughout and a sense that the match really could have ended multiple times. It’s just high level, technically incredible wrestling between two guys who could do this stuff in their sleep. It says a lot when this is pretty firmly on the low end of their series, as it’s an instant classic with only the kind of sudden ending holding it back. Definitely check this out, plus pretty much anything else they’ve done, ever.

From a WWF house show in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, January 16, 1989.

WWF Title: Randy Savage vs. Bad News Brown

Savage, with Elizabeth, is defending in a Harlem Street Fight and they’re both in street clothes. Brown jumps him on the way in and they’re quickly outside with Savage striking away. A headbutt cuts Savage off though and a chair is thrown inside so Brown can use it to choke. Brown takes him back outside but punches the post, allowing Savage to ax handle him back inside.

Savage takes off his weightlifting belt and blasts Brown in the ribs. Brown is back up with another chair shot and sends Savage crashing over the barricade. A table (remember, this is 1989) is set up in the corner but Savage sends Brown into said table. There’s no referee as Brown hits the Ghetto Blaster for no count. A slam gets the same result so brown yells at the referee, allowing Savage to grab a backslide to retain (with the count from a second referee) at 6:49.

Rating: B. This didn’t last long and no it wasn’t as smooth as the kinds of street fights etc. that you would see in the future, but these guys beat the fire out of each other and it felt like a fight. The big thing here was that Brown basically beat him up and then got caught in the end. There was absolutely something to Brown, who was WAY ahead of his time and could have been incredible about ten years later. Still though, good stuff here, with Savage being more than capable of doing this kind of thing.

Post match Brown kicks Savage outside and then ties the original referee up in the Tree Of Woe. Brown easily takes Savage down into the corner but Savage is back up with a running ax handle. Some other wrestlers come in to break it up, or at least they do after a few misfires.

From WCW Worldwide, May 14, 1988.

NWA United States Tag Team Titles: Midnight Express vs. Fantastics

The Express, with Jim Cornette, is defending and after their usual pre-match hugs, we’re ready to go. Fulton and Lane start things off with Fulton knocking him down without much trouble. A running shoulder drops Lane again and it’s time for the champs to regroup. Lane wrestles him down and quickly gets a hammerlock, which works so well that he does it again.

We take a break and come back with Lane getting double hiptossed, allowing Rogers to work on an armbar. Rogers sends Lane outside so it’s off to Eaton for a change. Eaton gets in a standing chinlock but charges into a headscissors. Lane teases coming off the top for the save but Fulton shakes the ropes to bring him down and then chills on the top in a great spot.

We take another break and come back with Lane on the floor before coming back inside to headlock Fulton. That’s broken up and it’s back to Rogers to work on Lane’s leg. That earns him an enziguri though and Eaton comes back in, only to get taken down as well. Eaton is knocked to the floor and sent into the post as the Midnights are all discombobulated. Back in and Eaton takes over on Fulton, who comes off the middle rope with a kind of hip attack for two.

A hurricanrana takes Eaton down again and we take another break. We come back with Eaton getting in a shot to the throat, followed by Lane’s karate kick to the chest. The hammerlock goes on and the fans get behind Rogers, with Cornette losing his mind on the floor as only he can. Rogers gets sent into the wrong corner again, with Lane grabbing a Russian legsweep for two more.

We take another break and come back again with Eaton working on the arm. Rogers fights up and brings Fulton back in, only for the Midnights to pull him down into a seated abdominal stretch. Fulton’s throat is pulled across the top rope and an elbow gives Lane two. We take yet another break and come back with the bleeding Fulton getting neckbreakered for two. Eaton goes up top and drops the elbow for two more, followed by Lane kicking away in the corner.

The referee stops to check on Fulton’s cut but Rogers bets him not to stop the match. Fulton grabs Anderson’s leg to beg as well so Lane kicks Fulton in the face. Cornette is up on the apron to demand the match be stopped…and Rogers missile dropkicks Eaton into a rollup to give Fulton the pin and the titles at 36:48.

Rating: A. This has been called the greatest tag match to ever air on television in the United States and….yeah it’s kind of hard to argue. The Midnights were as good of an in-ring team as you could get at this point (if not ever) and the Fantastics could go move for move with them. There is nothing in here remotely bad or even less than good, as everyone is working hard and looks incredibly crisp. Throw in that Eaton hat a 100+ degree fever and was so sick that Cornette was asking him if they needed to cancel the match and it’s even better. Absolutely check this out as it’s a tag team wrestling clinic.

From a WWE house show in New York City, New York, December 26, 2017.

Intercontinental Title: Roman Reigns vs. John Cena

Reigns is defending and I guess this works if it’s all you’ve got. They fight over a lockup to start as the fans are split, as usual in a big cena match. Reigns backs him up against the ropes so Cena grabs a headlock as they’re taking their time to start. That’s switched into a chinlock as Reigns can’t get very far early on. Back up and they go to a test of strength, with Reigns powering him out to the floor. Cena gets back in and is pretty easily knocked down, followed by a headbutt back outside.

We hit…I’m really not sure as it’s a one camera shoot and the fans are in the way but Cena takes over on the floor. Back in and the AA attempt is broken up but Cena grabs a tornado DDT. Reigns fights back with some big right hands and Cena’s comeback is cut off with the corner clotheslines. A big boot drops Cena again but he’s right back with the usual finishing sequence. The AA is countered into a sunset flip to give Reigns two, as does the Samoan drop.

The Superman Punch is pulled into the STF, only for Cena to let go to pull him back to the middle. Now the Superman Punch gets two, as does the AA, with the fans losing their minds on these near falls. Cena goes up but dives into a sitout powerbomb to leave them both down. Back up and they slug it out until Cena tries the AA again. That’s escaped though and the spear retains Reigns’ title at 17:59.

Rating: B. They had the big fight feel going here and that’s what it needed to be. This was the main event with the biggest star of the previous generation coming back to go after one of the biggest stars of today. That’s a main event level match and Cena knows how to bring it as well as anyone else. Good stuff here, especially for a house show with a red hot crowd.

From a WWE house show in Lafayette, Louisiana, March 10, 2024.

Kevin Owens/Becky Lynch vs. Grayson Waller/Nia Jax

Ok then. Waller’s running shoulder can’t get anywhere with Owens and a stomp on the foot doesn’t do much better. For some reason Waller shoves him in the face before handing it off to Jax. A shove actually puts Owens down and it’s off to Lynch for a high crossbody. Lynch kicks her way out of the corner and hits a Diamond Dust for two. The Disarm-Her is blocked so Lynch dropkicks her out to the floor instead.

Waller gets ping ponged between the two of them and a double suplex puts him down again. Jax is back in to run Lynch over though, setting up a reverse Stinkface in the ropes. The regular version makes it even worse as Lynch is gagging. Owens even gives her some water to wake her back up. Lynch fights out of the corner but Waller is right there to cut off the tag.

A Samoan drop gives Jax two and she can’t believe the kickout. Jax’s charge hits the post though and it’s off to Owens to beat up Waller. The backsplash gives Owens two but the Stunner is blocked. Jax forearms Owens into a rollup for two but misses a charge. Lynch Stunners Jax and Owens does the same to Waller, setting up the Manhandle Slam for the pin at 9:44.

Rating: C+. This was the definition of a fun house show match and that’s always nice to see. They didn’t do anything too complicated here and it was all about giving the fans something unique. Owens and Lynch worked well together and they beat up some annoying villains. What else do you want?

From Over The Limit 2012.

Raw World Title: CM Punk vs. Daniel Bryan

Punk is defending. Feeling out process to start with neither being able to get anywhere on the ropes. Instead Bryan grabs a headlock and hits a running shoulder, only to get hiptossed down. Punk takes him into the corner and starts in on the leg, including some cranking on the mat. Back up Bryan is able to flip over him out of the corner but the leg is kicked out again.

An Indian Deathlock is broken up as Bryan forearms him in the head, only for Punk to come back with a curb stomp. Bryan gets sent crashing out to the floor but drives Punk back first into the barricade. Punk is draped ribs first across the barricade and we hit the seated abdominal stretch back inside (with commentary reminding us that Kane recently injured Punk’s ribs).

Bryan switches into a surfboard with a dragon sleeper, followed by a heck of a running knee to the back. The Swan Dive gives Bryan two but Punk gets up for a double collision. Punk leg lariats him and hits the swinging neckbreaker as the comeback is on. A backdrop sends Bryan outside and the knee is banged up again. The suicide dive connects but Bryan is able to dropkick him out of the air.

One heck of a kick to the head gives Bryan two so he goes up, only to get crotched. A springboard clothesline gives Punk two and they go into a pinfall reversal sequence. Bryan can’t get the LeBell Lock but he can get kicked in the head for two. The top rope elbow connects but Punk’s knees are banged up again. Bryan gets the LeBell Lock in the middle of the ring, only for Punk to stack him up for the pin at 24:14. Punk taps a second after the pin but it is clearly after.

Rating: A-. This was every bit of the technical masterpiece that you would expect, with the hard strikes and some high flying thrown in. Punk winning clean is a bit of a surprise and thankfully they didn’t do anything screwy by having him tap at the same time. Naturally this didn’t headline the show because it wasn’t…let’s see here…John Cena vs. Johnny Ace. No wonder Punk had a chip on his shoulder.

From a WWF TV taping in Lowell, Massachusetts, August 18, 1993.

Mr. Hughes/Giant Gonzalez vs. Mr. Perfect/Randy Savage

This is the biggest “well ok” match I’ve seen in a bit and Harvey Wippleman is with the villains. Savage gets an interesting introduction with Mike McGuirk telling the fans to “give it all you got” for him. Hughes shoves the rather popular Perfect into the corner to start and then easily punches him down.

It’s off to Gonzalez, who looks even weirder than usual slowly hammering on Perfect. Hughes is back in and gives up the tag to Savage (who could pass for a Captain America knockoff), who is choked down by Gonzalez. A clothesline drops Savage again and it’s back to Hughes to miss a charge into the corner. Perfect comes back in to slug away, including a backdrop. Savage adds a top rope ax handle and Perfect gets a small package for the pin at 7:10.

Rating: C. The weird thing is this match actually made me feel bad for Gonzalez. There is only so much he could do against people literally a foot and a half shorter than him and that became quite the problem. Savage and Perfect couldn’t do much more than punch him, leaving Hughes as the only one they could do anything against. It’s not good, but it certainly had the spectacle.

From a WWE house show in Sydney, Australia, March 3, 2006.

Smackdown World Title: Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker

Angle is challenging. Orton bails to the floor to start, where some women are VERY excited to see him. We’re clipped to Orton back inside, with Undertaker hammering away. Orton bails outside so Angle rolls Undertaker up for two, earning himself a shot to the face. Henry comes back inside to choke Undertaker, as does Henry’s manager Daivari. Angle ankle locks Orton over the barricade, sending him into the crowd.

The other two join them, with Undertaker popping Orton with some right hands, sending him onto a woman who certainly does not seem to mind. Back in and Undertaker chinlocks Angle until Orton rather slowly rolls in for the save. Henry comes in to beat up Undertaker but Orton has to save him from the ankle lock. Undertaker is back up to stomp on Orton, who breaks up Old School.

A superplex puts Undertaker down for two and we’re clipped to Orton breaking up a superplex to Angle. The RKO is blocked but the Angle Slam hits Undertaker instead. We’re clipped again to Undertaker sitting up and chokeslamming Orton for two with Henry making a save. The Angle Slam finishes Orton to retain the title at about 9:00 shown. I won’t rate it due to the clips but what we saw looked good.

Post match Undertaker goes after Orton but has to beat up an invading JBL.

As has been the case with many shows over the years, we’ll wrap it up with a small package. This one features a collection of Mortis dark matches in WWE.

Velocity dark match, August 16, 2003.

Mortis vs. Austin Aries

Or “Austin Arius”, who is billed from St. Louis, where the match happens to be taking place. Aries strikes away to start but misses a high crossbody, allowing Mortis to strike away in the corner. A reverse Walls Of Jericho sends Aries over to the ropes and he gets some boots up in the corner. Aries is back with a discus forearm and a clothesline out to the floor. The slingshot dive misses but Aries is right back up for a missile dropkick. A sitout Dominator finishes Aries at 3:38.

Rating: C. I’m kind of surprised Aries didn’t get a closer look, as he was aggressive here and had some good looking high flying. You could tell he had the athleticism and balance that let him move around rather well. On the other and you have Mortis, who certainly looked cool and could have been fine enough without the Mortal Kombat stuff.

Velocity dark match, August 23, 2004.

Mortis vs. Truth Martini

Mortis punches him down to start but misses a springboard legdrop. Martini’s springboard spinning legdrop misses as well, allowing Mortis to hit a superkick. Back up and Mortis sends him into the corner for a middle rope Boston crab before sending Martini into the post. The crossarm choke goes on and a suplex drops Martini again. A tornado DDT gives Martini two of his own but he gets caught in an electric chair faceplant for the pin at 4:37.

Rating: C-. Ah now this was more like it, as there was nothing to Mortis here other than the look. Mortis does look cool, but his offense was “do a move, stand there, do another move, stand there again”, and so forth. That only works for so long and made a four and a half minute match feel a heck of a lot longer.

Velocity dark match, August 30, 2004.

Mortis/Funaki vs. Jack Bull/Mike Knox

Mortis strikes away at Bull to start so it’s off to Funaki, who gets beaten down by Knox. Bull comes back in to strike away. A reverse tornado DDT gets Funaki out of trouble and it’s back to Mortis. Everything breaks down and Mortis finishes Knox with a lifting Downward Spiral at 4:32.

Rating: C. Again, there’s just not much to say about these matches. Mortis is creepy looking but is teaming with the eternally likable Funaki against a pair of big bald guys. There was nothing to the match and Mortis certainly didn’t stand out, which is kind of the point of the whole thing.

Velocity dark match, October 25, 2003.

Mortis vs. John Walters

This is joined in progress for some reason with Walters flipping over him and hitting a clothesline for two. Walters’ neck crank doesn’t last long as Mortis is back up with a corner clothesline and a middle rope bulldog out of the corner. The superkick gets two and a sitout Alabama slam finishes Walters at 3:07.

Rating: C. Much like the previous matches, there’s something to the idea of this weird looking guy who does unique moves, but the whole Mortis deal was played so slowly. It was like Chris Kanyon was thinking “ok so I’m Mortis now” rather than getting into doing anything. This was another weak match and I’m not surprised WWE didn’t do anything with Mortis as a result.

Overall Rating: A-. The Mortis matches aren’t great, but they’re about the only things close to weak in this set. When you have the Flair vs. Steamboat match, that incredible Midnights/Fantastics match and the rather awesome Punk vs. Bryan match, almost anything else is going to be fine. I got lucky this time with a great set of matches and some actual rarities, which made for a rather fun (albeit crazy long) viewing. Check out those three matches for sure though, as they’re all worth your time.

 

 

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Smackdown
Date: May 22, 2026
Location: Rupp Arena, Lexington, Kentucky
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

It’s the night before Saturday Night’s Main Event and the show is not exactly looking huge. There isn’t much to be said about the card and I’m not sure we’re going to get anything else added here. On the other hand, Clash In Italy is just over a week away and is already looking strong. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s contract signing between Cody Rhodes and Gunther. That was broken up by Royce Keys, whom Gunther had to beat to get the title shot anyway.

Here is Rhea Ripley to get things going. She got jumped by Jade Cargill last week and wants to face Cargill at Clash In Italy. Cue Charlotte and Alexa Bliss, with Charlotte saying they have a six woman tag at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Before that though, Charlotte gets on Ripley for not being there to help last week. Ripley says she was visiting her family and the bickering is on, with Fatal Influence interrupting them. Jacy Jayne laughs at them and says they take opportunities where they can. The result is a tag match against Bliss/Charlotte tonight.

We look back at Talla Tonga attacking Shinsuke Nakamura last week and Solo Sikoa getting taken out by Royce Keys in the main event.

Sikoa won’t let the MFT’s talk about Talla’s match with Shinsuke Nakamura. Keys comes in to yell but Sikoa says Keys was the one who got physical. Keys is going to need someone to have his back and since Sikoa is family, who could be better?

Alexa Bliss tells Charlotte that she’s sick so Charlotte and Rhea Ripley are teaming together. Charlotte is less than pleased.

Talla Tonga vs. Shinsuke Nakamura

The MFT’s are with Talla, who shoves the popular Nakamura into the corner to start. Nakamura gets choked in the corner and a hard whip sends him into another corner. Back up and Nakamura knocks him to the floor, where Talla reverses into a whip to the barricade. We take a break and come back with Nakamura grabbing a triangle choke. With that broken up, a middle rope knee to the back hits Talla, who misses a charge into the corner. Scorpio Rising gives Nakamura two but a Solo Sikoa distraction lets Talla grab a powerslam. The chokeslam finishes Nakamura at 9:20.

Rating: C+. This was pretty to the point, with Nakamura’s strikes still looking good despite not being in the ring very much as of late. Talla continues to look like a monster and that is exactly what he should be doing. You don’t see Talla get in the ring very often and that makes sense, but having him beat someone like Nakamura should help him a bit.

Post match the beatdown is on with Tama Tonga teasing turning on Sikoa but knocking Nakamura out anyway. Damian Priest makes the save with a chair.

Video on Roman Reigns vs. Jacob Fatu.

Cody Rhodes comes in to see Nick Aldis and wants Gunther to sign the contract for Clash In Italy. Aldis says the match is made but he’ll get Gunther to sign. Sami Zayn comes in offer Rhodes his help with Gunther but Rhodes passes, leaving Zayn annoyed. Zayn rants to Aldis and Rhodes comes back in and says he’ll fight Zayn tonight.

Tama Tonga wants to take care of Damian Priest and Solo Sikoa seems to agree.

Women’s US Title: Tiffany Stratton vs. ???

Stratton is defending in an open challenge, as answered by…Lash Legend. Nia Jax is here with Legend and they promise to win both this and the Women’s Tag Team Titles on Saturday. Legend shoves her down to start but Stratton strikes away out of the corner. A dropkick doesn’t do much to Legend but a running version sends her outside. Stratton hits a dive, only for Legend to knock her down. Cue Chelsea Green to cheer Stratton on as we take a break.

We come back with Legend grabbing a chinlock until Stratton gets up and avoids a charge into the post. Stratton’s handspring elbow and handspring Stunner combine for two and a hurricanrana sends Legend into the corner. Legend is right back with a heck of a powerbomb but the Lash Extension is countered into a crucifix for two. Jax has to be kicked away so Green goes after her, leaving Legend to hit a pump kick. Legend grabs Green, allowing Stratton to get the rollup to retain at 9:04.

Rating: C+. They did this well, with Stratton escaping to keep the title again. Green helping Stratton is interesting as she seems to be the next important challenger, which is an interesting way to go. At the same time, enough with the open challenges. The idea has been done to death and it doesn’t exactly add anything. Just figure out something else.

Nick Aldis says the building has a power issue coming from a certain room. That seems to be Danhausen’s laboratory, with Aldis going in to yell at him. There is something under a sheet and Aldis goes to look. Danhausen: “DON’T TOUCH THAT!” Oh dear.

We look at Danhausen uncursing the New York Knicks…who then went on a nine game winning streak.

The Miz and Kit Wilson don’t care about what is in Danhausen’s laboratory and insist there IS NO CURSE. Miz complains about Danhausen causing the Cleveland Cavaliers their playoff series and sitting courtside. Cathy Kelly: “Why aren’t you sitting courtside?” As the fans give that a big OOOOOHHHHH, Fraxiom comes up to mock the idea of a curse. Miz vs. Axiom is set for next week.

Here are Trick Williams and Lil Yachty for a chat. They mock the Miz for losing last week, with Yachty putting down Miz’s accomplishments (Williams: “7 time Tag Team Champion.” Yachty: “7 times he was carried.”). Cue Carmelo Hayes, who says they knew this day was going to come. Hayes praises what Williams has done around here but the fans want to see them go at it for the US Title.

Yachty says Williams has a messy schedule and it won’t be easy. Hayes: “Can anyone understand what this guy is saying?” Hayes brings up Williams always being better playing second fiddle, which has Williams’ attention. The match is on, but Williams makes it clear that it isn’t for the title.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Trick Williams

Lil Yachty is here with Williams, who grabs a slam to start. Hayes chops him into the corner but Williams reverses into a chop of his own and stomps away. The Rock Bottom gives Williams two and he puts Hayes down again. A drop across the top rope has Hayes in trouble but he manages to send Williams outside. Yachty gets in the way of a dive though and we take a break.

We come back with Hayes fighting out of a chinlock but getting dropped with a jumping neckbreaker. Hayes’ springboard clothesline connects as Ricky Saints is here to sneer. Hayes strikes away as we hear some noise in the background, which doesn’t seem to be intentional. The Trick Shot is countered into the First 48 for two and they go outside, where Saints is knocked down. Back in and Hayes rolls Williams up but the referee is with Saints. Hayes goes to deal with him but walks into the Trick Shot to give Williams the pin at 13:24.

Rating: B. Believe it or not, two talented guys who have a history together were able to have a good match. That’s what we got to see here and Saints vs. Hayes gets to continue. I liked the match rather well, with multiple people getting to advance stories at once. That’s not bad for a pair of segments and it gave the midcard a boost.

Sami Zayn is livid in the back and runs into a still silent Johnny Gargano. Zayn talks about how things have changed, but he and Gargano have never changed. Gargano responds by…weakly knocking over a bottle of water.

Carmelo Hayes jumps Ricky Saints in the back.

We look at Brock Lesnar returning on Raw and attacking Oba Femi, setting up their Clash In Italy rematch.

Fatal Influence vs. Charlotte/Rhea Ripley

Jacy Jayne and Alexa Bliss are here too. Henley mocks Charlotte’s strut to start and gets clotheslined as a result. Ripley comes in to kick Reid into the corner and it’s right back to Charlotte. This time doesn’t go as well, with Charlotte being sent outside so Fatal Influence can pose over her as we take a break.

We come back with Charlotte still in trouble and Henley coming in for a chinlock. Back up and Charlotte kicks Henley off the top and out to the floor but Reid gets in a chop block. Charlotte kicks Reid away though and it’s back ti Ripley to clean house. A Razor’s Edge hits Reid, with Henley having to make a save. Ripley superkicks Charlotte off the apron by mistake before hitting Reid with Riptide. Charlotte tags herself in though and Natural Selection finishes at 10:56.

Rating: B-. They’re not hiding that this is setting up a big Charlotte vs. Ripley showdown and that’s a good idea. There are only so many stars who can really give Ripley a challenge and Charlotte is up there. It would be nice to see this version of Charlotte getting a chance and it might be happening in the next few months. Other than that, Fatal Influence continues to feel like they belong here, and now we get to see what happens after losing like this.

Post match Bliss tries to calm things down but here are Jade Cargill, B-Fab and Michin to lay all of them out.

Cody Rhodes is ready for Sami Zayn tonight and would love to have Gunther there in some way.

We look at Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu setting up Tribal Combat on Raw.

Jade Cargill and company are ready to win their six woman tag and prove how dominant they really are.

Damian Priest vs. Solo Sikoa

The MFT’s are here with Sikoa, who gets jumped to start things fast. They get inside with Priest hitting a jumping elbow to the face but getting pulled into a Samoan drop. We take a break and come back with Priest clapping Sikoa’s ears on the top. That’s enough to set up a superplex before they trade forearms.

Sikoa misses a charge into the post and the Broken Arrow gives Priest two. The MFT’s offer a distraction though and Spinning Solo connects for two more. Back up and Priest kicks him in the head, followed by a lifting Downward Spiral. Talla Tonga gets up for a distraction though and the Samoan Spike finishes Priest at 9:43.

Rating: C+. Priest continues to not have the most success and it seems likely that he and R-Truth don’t have the longest future. The team never really felt like it was going to be the big champions of the future and we’re probably getting close to the time they drop the titles. The fact that Priest is already doing something on his own isn’t a great sign, but it’s not like this is a shock.

Post match the beatdown is on but Royce Keys runs in for the save. Priest grabs Keys by the throat but Keys says he’s here to help, which calms Priest down.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown. That card looks dire.

Blake Monroe debuts and doesn’t think much of Chelsea Green. Monroe leaves and the Irresistible Forces jump Green to lay her out.

Royce Keys wants to know what Damian Priest’s problem is but Priest yells at him for getting in his business. A match seems likely.

Sami Zayn vs. Cody Rhodes

Non-title. Zayn shoves him into the corner to start but doesn’t want to follow up. Rhodes tells him to bring it, earning himself a headlock. Rhodes knocks him down but a way too early Cody Cutter attempt is broken up. We take a break and come back with Rhodes still in trouble but managing a suplex. The Cody Cutter gets two but Rhodes’ knee is banged up. Rhodes is sent to the apron and knocked HARD onto the announcers’ table (that was a nasty bump).

That’s good for a nine count before Rhodes makes it back inside, where another Cody Cutter gets another two. The banged up knee lets Zayn grab the Blue Thunder Bomb for two of his own and they both need a breather. Zayn goes after a knee and grabs the Figure Four. That’s reversed with a turn into the ropes and Rhodes gets up for the Disaster Kick. Cue Gunther for the sleeper from the apron but Zayn knocks him down by mistake. Cross Rhodes finishes for Rhodes at 11:50.

Rating: B. Much like Williams vs. Hayes, there was no shock to these two being able to work well together. Zayn continues his downfall, with one more loss to add onto his failures. At some point he is going to hit his absolute rock bottom and it’s going to be interesting to see where it goes from there. In theory it is going to result in him winning the World Title, but we could be a long way from that happening.

Post match Gunther sleepers Rhodes again and Zayn looks at them and….eventually….walks away. Gunther poses over Rhodes and Zayn looks on from the aisle to end the show.

Overall Rating: B. You had a pair of good matches here and a lot of stuff being moved towards Clash In Italy. That’s a nice thing to see, as you don’t have a lot of time left before the show. Clash In Italy got a positive boost here and I’m a lot more interested than I was coming in. Oh and Saturday Night’s Main Event exists too. Yeah exists. That’s as high as we’re getting with that one and that’s pretty clear.

Results
Talla Tonga b. Shinsuke Nakamura – Chokeslam
Tiffany Stratton b. Lash Legend – Rollup
Trick Williams b. Carmelo Hayes – Trick Shot
Charlotte/Rhea Ripley b. Fatal Influence – Natural Selection to Reid
Solo Sikoa b. Damian Priest – Samoan Spike
Cody Rhodes b. Sami Zayn – Cross Rhodes

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Evolve
Date: May 20, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

Things are staying interesting around here, even with another change of cast members likely taking place soon. The big story for this week is Tate Wilder getting to face Kam Hendrix in a battle of two people already on NXT. Other than that, we’re coming up on Tristan Angels getting his Evolve Title shot. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Hendrix talks about Wilder messing with the wrong people in recent weeks.

Wilder is ready to keep fighting no matter what.

Opening sequence.

Anya Rune vs. Layla Diggs

Masyn Holiday is here with Diggs. Rune grabs a headlock takeover to start before an armdrag sets up an armbar. Diggs is back up with a shot to the face and we hit a seated full nelson. That’s reversed into a backslide to give Rune two but Diggs kicks her in the head. A running shot in the corner gets two and we’re back to the full nelson. Back up and Rune avoids a running knee in the corner and forearms her down. Diggs backflips away from a shot to the face and keeps flipping to hit a Pele kick (that was sweet). A great looking moonsault finishes Rune at 4:20.

Rating: B-. That flip into the kick and moonsault looked awesome, with Diggs having one of her best performances in all of her time in WWE. She was able to make everything look smooth and that is quite the trick to pull off. Rune is still mainly just an idea rather than someone who has really gotten to show much skill thus far. That could easily be turned around, but this was much more about Diggs and it worked rather well.

Post match Gianna Capri comes in and mocks Rune, with Diggs and Holiday glaring her off.

Timothy Thatcher talks about everything he does around here, including still wrestling on the independent circuit. He lists off some independent promotions and says he might be showing up to both wrestle and scout. This was basically an ad for the promotions the WWE works with and that’s about it.

Chazz Hall vs. CJ Valor

Before the match, Valor and the Mog Squad are ready to take out Hall and hit the town. Hall grabs a headlock to start and is easily shouldered down. Valor’s gorilla press doesn’t work as Hall is back up with a jumping spin kick to the face. Sliced Bread is countered into Snake Eyes though and Valor turns him inside out with a running clothesline. A hip check gets two on Hall and Valor yells at him, with Hall’s right hands not getting him very far.

Valor mocks Hall’s guitar playing and the neck crank goes on. Hall gets up and hits a jawbreaker, followed by a springboard headscissors. The standing Sliced Bread sets up a standing corkscrew moonsault to give Hall two and he sends Valor outside. The flip dive connects on the floor but a high crossbody is pulled out of the air. Something that was either a tornado DDT or a sunset flip gives Hall two and he kicks Valor in the head. The shooting star press gives Hall the pin at 6:48.

Rating: B-. This was good enough as Hall continues to have some pretty nice success. I’m still not wild on him for the most part, but he’s certainly capable in the ring. Valor is a big guy, though being part of the four man team doesn’t exactly let him stand out much. Then again with so many people to run through the process so fast around here, stables are the most practical way to go.

Laynie Luck and Wendy Choo are in the back with Luck thanking her for the title shot. That being said, neither of them wanted it to end with the double interference. The challenge is officially issued for next week.

It’s contract signing time so here are Tristan Angels and Aaron Rourke. Angels asks the fans if they find Rourke’s time as champion satisfactory. It’s true that Rourke became an overnight sensation and has all of his sparkles and such. If Angels had been around, none of those things would have ever happened. Now it’s time for Angels to burn Sparkle City to the ground.

Angels signs and Rourke does the same before asking if Angels is done. Rourke asks if Angels really calls himself the most beautiful man in England. Rourke finds that cool but thinks we should just call him Mr. Evolve, because it would be cute and fun. Rourke talks about how inner beauty is about bringing people up. Therefore, Angels is an ugly narcissist. Rourke offers to let Angels hit him in the face but security runs in to cut it off. Cue Harlem Lewis to announce that he’s facing Braxton Cole next week. Then Elijah Holyfield (Evander’s son) pops up to say he’s here to look at what is going on.

Sloane Jacobs and Nikkita Lyons are ready for their tag match against Wendy Choo and Laynie Luck next week. They’ll even provide the tissues for when Choo and Luck cry. When Lyons pins Choo, she’s coming for the Women’s Title.

Kam Hendrix vs. Tate Wilder

Wilder slugs away to start and knocks him into the corner but a springboard is broken up. Hendrix knocks him out to the floor, setting up a suplex onto the apron. Wilde is thrown into the VIP Area, where he pulls Hendrix inside as well to take over again. A crossbody off the barricade connects but Hendrix backdrops him onto the apron for an even bigger crash

We take a break and come back with Hendrix release suplexing him for two. Wilder fights up and hits some running elbows to the face, only to get spinebustered back down. Back up and Wilder gets a shot of his own and they pull each other up to slowly trade fists. Hendrix gets the better of things but Lights, Kam, Action is blocked. The Wilde Ride gets two and here is Harley Riggins, who is kicked in the face by Romeo Moreno. Wilde is back up with a UFO Splash for the pin at 9:12.

Rating: B-. Good stuff again here and it’s nice to see Wilder getting a chance to show what he can. He’s starting to show what he can do and it’s turned him from little more than a cowboy to someone who is getting better in general. Granted this is just in Evolve, but he has is going to have to do that on a higher level as well. Then you have Hendrix, who still feels like he could be a big deal with the talent he has but he hasn’t had a chance to do much on his own thus far.

Post match Timothy Thatcher comes out to talk to Elijah Holyfield, who will be introduced next week.

Overall Rating: B. They’re keeping things moving around here and it’s rather nice to see the stories moving around so well. Hopefully they keep the pace going as it makes for a rather fun show to watch every single week. You can see things moving from one place to another and it makes for probably the easiest show to watch week to week. We’re coming up on the big Rourke vs. Angels title match and that feels like an important showdown despite it being set up out of nowhere. I would think that’s a good sign of how things are going here, which has been the case for a long time now.

Results
Layla Diggs b. Anya Rune – Moonsault
Chazz Hall b. CJ Valor – Shooting star press
Tate Wilder b. Kam Hendrix – UFO Splash

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Hulk Hogan Mixtape
Commentators: Vince McMahon, Roddy Piper, Bruno Sammartino, Larry Zbyszko, Gordon Solie, Dusty Rhodes, Jesse Ventura, Gorilla Monsoon, Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan, Gene Okerlund

Well they had to do this. The Mixtapes have mainly featured the biggest and/or most beloved stars in company history and Hogan is WWE mega royalty. These things are absolutely random, with all kinds of matches, promos and segments. The best part is that they often avoid the most well known stuff so it’s almost four hours of less than remembered content. Let’s get to it.

We open with Hulk Hogan’s bouncing chest before he talks about being ready to face Hercules. He’s checked Hercules out and yes he has a body of a god. Hercules even looks like the real one (Huh?) but Hogan has been hanging out in the Garden of Eden with his main squeeze Eve and going 20,000 leagues under the sea. This is where the power lies, meaning the palm of his hand. Hercules has Bobby Heenan with him and that’s nothing new to Hogan, who has beaten everyone Heenan has thrown at him. This is where the power lies (I feel like I’ve heard that somewhere before).

From Summerslam 1990, a show I’ve seen about 1,483 times.

Hulk Hogan vs. Earthquake

Big Boss Man is in one corner and Dino Bravo/Jimmy Hart are in the other. This is a big return for Hogan after Earthquake put him out of action (to film Suburban Commando, so we owe Earthquake a thank you). Earthquake shoves him down a few times and drops him with a shoulder, sending Hogan outside for a chat with Boss Man (who flat out tells him to rake the eyes).

Back in and Hogan does rake the eyes but tries a slam, because that has worked so well for him over the years. Hogan gets sent into the corner but comes right back with some shots to the face, including a running right hand which has Hogan all staggered. The big wind up right hand puts him down (which is all the more impressive when Hogan winds up counter clockwise and then punches clockwise, which…my head huts).

Everything breaks down and the seconds come in, with Hogan and Boss Man hitting some double big boots (the referee doesn’t mind) but Bravo is back with a double slam to drop Hogan. The big elbow gives Earthquake two and he stomps on the fingers to make it worse. We hit the Boston crab (making Hogan tap, which means nothing in 1990 but it’s still a weird visual) and Hogan tries to push out before realizing he’s right next to the rope. Ever the genius, Hogan rolls outside right in front of Bravo, who gives him a slam.

Back in and Earthquake misses the big elbow and Hogan shows his brilliance again by trying, and failing at, a slam. Earthquake grabs the bearhug and Hogan grabs at the referee for some reason, even tearing his shirt. The right hands get Hogan out of trouble and some running shoulders stagger Earthquake. A crossbody of all things is countered into the powerslam, allowing Hogan to do his fish out of water twitching.

A pair of Earthquakes connect…and it’s Hulk Up time, with the fans getting right back into things. Earthquake hammers away and I think you know where this is going (as you’ve probably seen the match before). The big boot staggers Earthquake and a good slam puts him down for the legdrop. Hart comes in for the save and gets thrown at Earthquake as Boss Man takes Bravo out. Hogan goes outside with Earthquake where Hart misses the Megaphone shot. Another slam puts Earthquake onto (not through) a table (yes the show is in Philadelphia) for the countout at 13:17.

Rating: C+. This was all about Hogan’s big return and I’d call that a success, with the fans going coconuts for his usual stuff. Hogan has a reputation of mainly working with monsters and Earthquake is one of the best he ever faced. That was the case here, as Earthquake could move both himself and Hogan around while still looking imposing. The ending is a bit strange as it was designed to set up rematches at house shows, which is hardly what you expect in a high profile match like this. It’s not a great match, but it was all about the reaction from the fans and that worked.

Post match Earthquake chokes Hogan and Boss Man’s chair shots just annoy him. With that not working, Boss Man throws the chair down and whips out the nightstick for a big spin, which sends the villains running (probably the coolest thing Boss Man ever did in his career, as that just looked awesome).

Hogan introduces us to his parents and says he’s the same person he was growing up because of them. And then we have to do another take, complete with Gene getting makeup redone in between.

From I believe Championship Wrestling, August 20, 1980.

Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant

Freddie Blassie is here with Hogan. They lock up and Andre shoves him around without much trouble, though Hogan shoves him right back into another corner. That just earns Hogan a boot to the chest but he easily slams Andre. Another slam plants Hogan right back and a big boot sets up the missed splash. Hogan bails outside and Blassie loads up his elbow pad, which is enough to knock Andre silly. The pad is unloaded as Andre is bleeding…and Hogan and Blassie just leave at about 3:45.

Rating: C+. This had some cool visuals, of course including the slam, which is bizarre to see on an official WWE release from before Wrestlemania III, but it felt like it was there to set up a bigger rematch. Hogan certainly had a lot of his stuff down here, though dang it’s weird seeing him as a heel. That being said, he ticked off Andre and that is about the dumbest thing anyone can ever do.

Post match Andre yells a lot.

We get a quick outtake from an NWO vignette, with Hogan and the Outsiders laughing at how long the interview has gone.

From WCW Worldwide in February/March 1995.

Hulk Hogan/Randy Savage vs. Pretty Wonderful

Hogan and Orndorff start things off with some running shoulders putting Orndorff down. It’s off to Savage to work on Roma’s arm and Hogan even gets in a middle rope ax handle. A cheap shot from behind takes Savage down though and Orndorff hammers away in the corner. Hogan’s attempt at a save just causes more double teaming, further proving that Hogan is a terrible partner.

The double teaming keeps Savage down and Roma gets some near falls. Savage finally fights up and brings in Hogan, who cleans house like he’s Hulk Hogan beating up Paul Roma. The big boot (a size 12 according to Solie, which astounds me that I have bigger feet than Hogan) and legdrop finish Roma at 7:23.

Rating: C. Normally I would say the match was what you would expect, but who would have expectations for the Mega Powers vs. Pretty Wonderful? It’s such a random tag match and while Hogan was very different than what he was doing in his glory days, there is always something to be seen when he faces Orndorff. Roma being there to take the pin is…well pretty much exactly what you would expect.

Hogan does a photo shoot in 2002. Dang that Undisputed Title looked awesome.

We go to the Dungeon Of Doom where the Master and Kevin Sullivan sense Hogan getting closer. Hogan falls through a wall into the Dungeon and realizes there are no Hulkamaniacs here and he’s never been here before. The water isn’t even hot! Hogan goes over to the Master and Sullivan and explains the members of their team. Sullivan threatens to destroy Hulkamania and a wall explodes, with the Giant coming out to choke Hogan down.

From Toronto, Ontario, Canada, December 15, 1985.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Terry Funk

Hogan is defending and steals Funk’s cowboy hat to start. The hat is thrown down and Hogan (in blue trunks and boots for a change) drops some elbows on it as Funk talks to Jimmy Hart. Funk runs away again before getting back inside, where Hogan knocks him into the corner without much trouble.

Funk goes outside again and this time picks up the megaphone, which doesn’t work that well. Back in and Funk chops away on the ropes but gets clotheslined out onto the announcers’ table. Hogan brings him back in and Funk apparently kicks him low, with Hogan heading outside this time. Back in and Funk chokes a bunch, followed by a piledriver for two.

Funk takes him out on the ramp, and Hogan actually Hulks Up out there. They go back inside for a clothesline and elbow to Funk, followed by the big boot (with Monsoon accidentally referring to Hogan as Terry). A suplex is loaded up but Hart trips Hogan, earning himself a big boot. Hogan takes Hart’s boot off and knocks Funk silly (Monsoon: “WHAMMO!”) for the pin to retain at 8:43.

Rating: B-. These two fought a few times and had some good chemistry together, which is at least partially due to Funk being willing to bump like a madman for anyone. Hogan didn’t wrestle people Funk’s size very often and it’s interesting to see him have to change up the offense a bit. Throw in the blue trunks and this was a very different style for him.

Post match Hogan chases Funk off with a chair.

Bill Apter presents Hollywood Hogan with the PWI award for the Most Hated Wrestler Of The Year for 1996 (I’m guessing, as he also won it in 1998). Hogan talks about how the NWO is all about change and he’s hated despite doing so much to put food on the table for so many people over the years. Including Apter.

From New York City, New York, March 24, 1980.

Hulk Hogan vs. Tito Santana

Hogan has Freddie Blassie with him and Santana is a Tag Team Champion. Hogan jumps him with a knee from behind to start and an Oklahoma Stampede (well with a regular slam instead of a powerslam) drops Santana early. Some elbows miss though and Santana fights up with right hands and a dropkick.

Santana works on the arm but Hogan hiptosses him down, setting up the elbow. Hogan knocks him outside and we hit the chinlock back inside. Santana fights up again whips Hogan into the corner, only to get clotheslined back down. A suplex with trunks gives Hogan the pin at 8:13.

Rating: C. This was a very different kind of match than you would see from Hogan but that was due to it being the very early 80s. Santana was already doing his fired up comebacks and knew how to get a crowd going, but Hogan was pretty clearly getting a push here. The lack of a legdrop was certainly weird to see, but this was very, very early Hogan and it showed.

Hulk Hogan runs into Ric Flair, Brie Bella and Jerry Lawler, Pat Patterson (who gets a picture with him and John Cena at a show. Apparently that show is Wrestlemania XXX (I love the RING THIS WAY sign).

We look at Hogan doing a promo in what looks like 1985 but he keeps screwing up his lines.

From Monday Nitro, August 9, 1999.

Hulk Hogan/Goldberg/Sting vs. Sid Vicious/Rick Steiner/Kevin Nash

Hogan is the World Champion and that’s quite the lineup. To make it even bigger, this is Hogan’s return to the Red and Yellow (and to the rather catchy American Made) after more than three years in the black and white. Hogan shoulders Steiner down to start so Steiner grabs a headlock. That doesn’t work for him either as Hogan knocks him down and drops three straight elbows.

Everything breaks down and Hogan beats up all three at once, making me wonder why Sting and Goldberg need to be there. The villains bail out to the floor and now it’s off to Goldberg, who gets to face Nash. The flying shoulder puts Nash down so Sid comes in to choke, only to get kicked down by Sting. A top rope splash hits raised knees though and Sid gets to take over for the first time.

Naturally that’s too much for Sid so it’s back to Nash for the side slam. A turnbuckle pad is ripped off somewhere in there so Nash loads up Snake Eyes, which the referee cuts off. The referee gets bumped so Sting hits some Stinger Splashes into the exposed buckle. Steiner brings in a chair to whack Sting but it gets taken away and Nash is laid out. The Scorpion Deathlock gives Sting the win on the out cold Nash at 8:09.

Rating: B-. In something you don’t hear very often, the crowd carried this so much higher. WCW might not be the most fondly remembered place in this era, but this was a situation where the fans were WAY into what they were seeing. You do not see that from this time and it makes me wonder what might have happened if WCW actually followed up on it, but you know, Russo was the way instead.

Hogan and Randy Savage are at Venice Beach, with Hogan very pleased that Savage has joined the dark side. This is still in 1995, with the two of them promising to get back at the Dungeon Of Doom. A man with a beard is sat between them and seems to agree.

From Huntington, West Virginia, June 15, 1993.

Mega Maniacs vs. Money Inc.

This is a lumberjack match and two days after Hogan lost the WWF Title to Yokozuna at the King Of The Ring. Money Inc. jump them before the bell and are quickly cleared out as Hogan gets to rip the shirt off to Real American. The referee is even fine with ringing the bell while Hogan chokes DiBiase, which has to be a tax violation. Money Inc. is chased to the floor so Jimmy Hart gives Hogan some advice (“Just go to WCW, this isn’t happening.”)

Hogan and DiBiase start things off with Hogan punching his way out of the corner without much trouble. DiBiase is sent outside and gets beaten up by the Steiners, allowing Hogan to grab a chinlock back inside. This allows Afa to caress IRS’ briefcase as Beefcake comes in for a headlock. What looks like a low blow is stopped so it’s off to IRS, who gets headlocked as well. IRS is sent outside for another beating before Hogan comes back in for the running clothesline.

Back up and Hogan is sent outside for a beating from the Headshrinkers, with the Steiners running over for the save (no one saved the villains, showing where the true friendship lies). Back in and the Million Dollar Dream has Hogan in trouble and stays on for such a long time that Hogan should be legally dead. The somehow still alive Hogan gets up and it’s a double clothesline to put them both down. Hogan gets sent outside and then right back inside, where DiBiase gets two thanks to a foot on the rope.

IRS comes in and gets slammed off the top, allowing the rather needed tag off to Beefcake. House is cleaned but Beefcake is sent outside for another group beating. Back in and Beefcake gets punched down for two, with Hogan making the save. A clothesline puts DiBiase down and it’s off to Hogan for the big boot. IRS tries to bring in the briefcase but Hogan takes it away and knocks DiBiase silly for the pin at 14:26.

Rating: C. It was just a post taping dark match with some big stars included in a Wrestlemania rematch. The fans were still going to care about Hogan and it was nice to see him doing something else. At the same time, Hogan and Beefcake weren’t the most thrilling team, mainly because Beefcake could not have been more of a warm body next to Hogan rather than an important part of the team.

Post match the lumberjacks all get in the ring for the brawl, with Hogan being left alone with Giant Gonzalez. Ever the nice guys, Hogan’s friends all stand on the floor and Hogan bails from Gonzalez without throwing a single punch. And this was never mentioned again, as Hogan wouldn’t return to TV before going to Hollywood.

To the AWA! Hogan talks about how he can beat the Heenan Family on his own. He knows he can take the title from Nick Bockwinkel and will wear it around his waist instead of carrying it under his arm like a box of shoes. It doesn’t matter where he has to go, because he will defend the title no matter where he goes in the world. Bockwinkel is only still champion because of Bobby Heenan but he can’t run forever.

From Minneapolis, Minnesota, May 2, 1982.

Hulk Hogan vs. Nick Bockwinkel/Bobby Heenan

Handicap match. Hogan draws a line in the ring and wants Bockwinkel, who is quickly knocked down. Bockwinkel gets shoved into the corner with ease before thinking twice about this. A headlock doesn’t work either as Hogan shoves him away at the “five minute” count. The villains are sent into each other and we pause for a meeting on the floor.

Back in and a shot to the throat and a low blow don’t do much to Hogan, who knocks Bockwinkel away again. Hogan sends him into the corner for the tag off to Heenan but Bockwinkel stays inside. A cheap shot (at the ten minute mark, which is really eight) lets Bockwinkel choke but Hogan reverses for a choke of his own.

The missed charge hits the buckle and now Heenan is willing to come in and stomp away. More choking has Hogan in trouble, with Heenan getting to use a towel for the same. Hogan powers up on the kickout and we start what would become the Hulk Up. Heenan comes off the middle rope with an ax handle and that goes as well as you would expect. Hogan sends them together and drops the leg on Bockwinkel for the 12:19.

Rating: C. This was more of a way to hype up the endless string of title matches between Hogan and Bockwinkel. Hogan pinned him here with the legdrop and he could do it again in a title match. At the same time, the match was pretty basic with a bunch of punching and choking. I was more than a bit surprised that Heenan didn’t take the fall, but this makes more sense.

Post match Hogan beats Heenan up again (no wonder Heenan never liked him) and sends Bockwinkel outside. Heenan gets choked a lot and then tossed over the top as well.

Hollywood Hogan spray paints a wall and explains that the HH are from him.

We get some behind the scenes footage of a Hollywood promo, where he is rather pleased about beating up the Giant and winning the World Title. Now they’re ready for WarGames…and Hogan messes up a line and we have to do it again. In another take, Hogan spray paints a globe to show that the NWO is going to rule the wrestling world. He paints a Hulk Hogan shirt as well and then does the NWO HH signature again. Anything less would be uncivilized. Geez he had some crazy charisma as a villain and it was on display here.

From Monday Nitro, January 19, 1998.

Hollywood Hogan vs. The Giant

Eric Bischoff is here with Hogan but hang on as Hogan has a neck brace. Bischoff says Hogan can’t do this but Giant pulls Hogan over the top and powers him up as the bell rings. Cue Kevin Nash at ringside as Giant slowly knocks him around and chokes in the corner. Giant knocks Hogan up the aisle and then throws him over the top and back inside.

A backbreaker puts Hogan down again but he manages to knock Giant into the corner. With Nash holding the foot, Hogan climbs up and hammers away as the fans keep pointing at the entrance. Hogan hits a running clothesline in the corner and drops the leg…as Randy Savage is here. Well eventually, as he gets up top at about the two count so the referee has to see him and stop. The distraction is enough for Giant to get up and hit a chokeslam for the pin at 5:59.

Rating: C-. Gah I was hoping for the Robin Hood match. The match was rather slow, but the point here was that Hogan lost. Granted it would have been better if he had taken a loss like this about three weeks ago at Starrcade when the loss to Sting needed to be this clean (and this wasn’t exactly clean) but I’ll take what I can get. It’s also not a good sign for the NWO, as the foundation is starting to crack.

We go to 2002 and the Montreal ovation, which just does not stop. If I remember correctly this had to be edited for TV, as it went on for the better part of nine minutes. Hogan’s reaction here is great as you can tell he’s touched.

From Landover, Maryland, July 28, 1984.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Paul Orndorff

Hogan is defending and this doesn’t have any commentary and is shot from a camera on the floor rather than a regular setup. Hogan atomic drops him to start and Orndorff bails to the floor. Back in and Hogan sends him into the corner and hits some elbows as this closeup camera work is messing with me. The big boot puts Orndorff down again but he goes to the eyes to cut Hogan off.

The piledriver triggers the Hulk Up but he doesn’t quite have it down yet so Orndorff knocks him back down. Hogan is busted open but Orndorff knocks him into the referee. Now we get the real Hulk Up (with the fans going nuts) and Hogan fights back, as he is known to do. We seem to jump ahead and come back with Hogan holding Orndorff’s foreign object, which the referee sees and calls for the DQ at 6:29 shown (the whole match runs about 12:00).

Rating: C+. These two always worked well together and it was nice to see them again, even if it wasn’t quite in their heyday. Hogan getting DQ’d sets up the rematch, which is probably something that they did all over the place. The match was fine, though nothing that they hadn’t done better a lot. And with these two, it was a lot a lot.

We go to I believe 1989 with Randy Savage promising to take the title from Hogan at their match that night in England (I’m assuming London).

From New York City, New York, January 27, 1986.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage

Hogan is defending and Savage has Elizabeth in his corner. Hogan charges in to start but Savage knocks him down and gets in a belt shot, which is fine with the referee (even commentary gets on him about it). A top rope belt shot puts Hogan down again as Savage still has his robe on. Hogan gets in a shot of his own though and even steals Savage’s sunglasses before sending him outside.

Savage gets sent into the post to bust him open and you know Hogan is going to be right there to stay on the cut. Elizabeth offers a distraction though and Savage gets in a cheap shot to knock Hogan outside. That includes a posting for Hogan, setting up Savage’s top rope ax handle.

Back in and another ax handle connects, followed by the big elbow…for two. Dang that still feels weird to see. Hogan fights up (not Hulks Up but fights up) and hits the big boot before cutting Savage off from going to the floor. Instead Hogan sends him outside in a heap but Elizabeth gets in Hogan’s way to prevent a posting. That lets Savage slip away and post Hogan to win by countout at 8:36.

Rating: C+. Much like the Orndorff stuff, these two were always worth a look and it was a fine enough match, even if it was again set up for the rematch. If nothing else, it was always nice to see Savage getting a win over Hogan, which only happened so often. Monsoon freaking out about Elizabeth was funny too as he couldn’t stand managers, including her.

Post match Hogan is livid and grabs a bearhug, with the dream team of Tiger Chung Lee and Mike Sharpe running in to break it up. They’re finally separated before Savage gets in a cheap shot and runs away. Savage would continue his momentum by winning the Intercontinental Title in a few weeks.

Hollywood Hogan has a baseball bat and makes Back To The Future II references. He hit a home run with Nick Bockwinkel and they mock Sting, Lex Luger and Giant. I’m assuming they just let these things go on for such a long time and then just edited them together for the short clips you would see on the broadcast. Anyway, Hogan promises to win the WCW World Title at Hog Wild.

Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. train for Wrestlemania and my goodness these two would be annoying to be around, as they shout all the time and never shut up.

From WCW Worldwide, November 12, 1994.

Hulk Hogan/Sting vs. Bruise Brothers

The Brothers jump them to start but Hogan and Sting fight back. The Stinger Splash and big boot connect, with the Scorpion Deathlock going on and the legdrop getting the pin at 24 seconds. Well that worked. The post match celebration is a lot longer than the match.

Hollywood Hogan and Dennis Rodman shill shirts. Rodman tells him that it’s ok to go make some more movies because Rodman has this stuff.

From Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, August 8, 2005, a dark match after Raw.

John Bradshaw Layfield/Kurt Angle/Shawn Michaels vs. Batista/John Cena/Hulk Hogan

This was released on the WWE Vault back in 2024. It’s a brawl at the bell to start and they head outside until we settle down to Batista shouldering Angle in the corner. Angle’s right hands just annoy Batista, who shoves him into the corner, where Angle grabs JBL around the waist in a slightly humorous way.

JBL comes in and backs Batista into the corner, where Batista switches him around for some choking. That’s enough for the tag off to Michaels, who actually knocks Batista into the corner. Batista isn’t having that and brings in Cena to slam Michaels off the top. JBL is back in to clothesline (not Clothesline, but clothesline) Cena to take over, with Angle getting to stomp away. Angle grabs a suplex and points at Hogan before stomping away even more.

Michaels comes in to send Cena outside and threatens to beat up the referee for his lousy attitude. Batista’s attempt at a save means the referee doesn’t see Cena using a small package, allowing JBL to…well have his suplex reversed actually. A sleeper goes on but Cena suplexes his way out again. Hogan comes in to clean house and everything breaks down. JBL makes the mistake of going after Hogan and it’s the big boot into the legdrop for the pin at 11:19.

Rating: C+. Ok so this obviously isn’t about the wrestling, as they were mostly in cruise control out there. That being said, the star power here is absolutely off the charts, with JBL, a World Champion and Hall Of Famer, a distant last in that category. You do not see lineups like this very often and it felt special, or at least really cool. It’s a fun thing to see and they probably did this at a lot of Raw’s to blow the fans’ minds.

Believe it or not, the winners celebrate for a long time.

At SuperBrawl V, Hogan is ready for Vader. Gene Okerlund is worried for him but Hogan insists that he’s ready to go even if it means playing possum. Jimmy Hart will be keeping an eye on Ric Flair too.

We get some footage of Hogan training with I believe the co-star of No Holds Barred, who isn’t quite as good in the gym.

We get a quick look at a Hogan/Zeus showdown in No Holds Barred.

From Boston, Massachusetts, June 6, 1987.

WWF Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Harley Race

Race, with Bobby Heenan, is challenging in a Texas Deathmatch. Hogan jumps him to start fast and they go outside, with Race being sent into the barricade and chaired in the head. Heenan gets chases off so Hogan can choke with tape, only to get kicked low. A falling headbutt on the floor has Hogan in more trouble and they get inside for the first time.

Race hits a piledriver and drops some knees for two so they head outside again. Hogan gets sent into the barricade and gets headbutted as Race slows things back down. Another knee drop gets another two but Hogan reverses a suplex into one of his own. Race chokes him right back down and they go through the entrance, with the curtain being knocked down. Back in and Race chokes him down again and goes up top, only for Hogan to grab the belt and block a headbutt. Another belt shot retains the title at 9:55.

Rating: B-. These two always worked well together, but it was kind of a mess with the belt being brought in at the end. The Texas Deathmatch rules weren’t exactly defined, though anything getting more hardcore around this time was a cool thing to see. Hogan got to mix it up a bit here and of course Race could work with anyone so this was a nice little addition.

Hogan was excited before going into the Hall Of Fame. He does tease getting back in the ring though. For some reason, his mustache looks extra wide here.

We get what looks to be a clip from after Raw, with Hogan doing a People’s Elbow to Scott Hall. This might be the night after Wrestlemania as they have a Canadian flag as well.

We get a vignette for Fall Brawl 1995 and WarGames, with Vader on the team before leaving for the WWF and being replaced by Lex Luger.

We get a sitdown interview with Gene Okerlund from 1991, with Hogan talking about having to deal with Ric Flair, who has signed with the WWF. Hogan talks about his daughter Brooke seeing him win the WWF Title at Wrestlemania and not understanding why Flair has his own title. He knows Flair is great but he wants to know how great. I’d like to know why this was mostly shot from behind Hogan, as it’s a weird visual.

From Halloween Havoc 1994.

WCW World Title: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair

Flair, with Sherri, is challenging in a cage and it’s title/career vs. career (how fair) with Mr. T. as guest referee. They actually lower the cage once they’re in the ring and, because WCW, it doesn’t go on straight at first. Heenan sounds almost in tears to start as Flair’s career could be over. Hogan starts with a backdrop and right hands in the corner but Mr. T. actually breaks it up and shoves him away.

This lets Heenan get in a rant about how Flair earned his status and Hogan got here by being nice to kids and the elderly (Heenan: “MAKES ME SICK!”). Flair starts going after the leg to put Hogan down and Mr. T. shoves Flair as well. Flair’s snapmare takes Hogan down as Muhammad Ali is watching in the front row. Hogan fights back and rams him head first into the cage, giving us a Flair Flop. Hogan’s choke with the shirt is broken up by Mr. T. and they shove each other some more, sending Heenan into yet another rant.

Flair goes back to the knee and grabs a rather delayed vertical suplex. Back up and they chop it out before going up top, where Flair gets crotched. A small package gives Hogan two and he hits a big backdrops, followed by the ram into the cage. Flair’s head is raked into the cage and Hogan pounds away, sending Flair bailing over the top. That earns him more rams into the cage and another crotching on top. Hogan stops to do the hand to the ear, which is the kind of playing to the crowd that kept the fans behind him (Sting would do the same kind of stuff).

Flair is able to get in a shot to the knee though and the shinbreaker has Hogan in trouble. The kneepad is taken down and Flair crashes down onto the leg, followed by the Figure Four. That’s turned over and broken up, with Mr. T. getting bumped. Flair hits a belly to back suplex but there’s no referee, with Hogan’s kickout sending Flair onto Mr. T. again. Sherri tries to climb in and Jimmy Hart pulls her…well her skirt down.

Sting cuts Sherri off again but the Masked Man pops out from underneath the ring to beat up Sting and Hart with a lead pipe. Sherri comes off of the cage with an ax handle to Hogan. Flair gets in another shot to the knee and Sherri handcuffs Mr. T. to the rope. Hogan is sent head first into the Masked Man’s pipe and Flair beats on Mr. T.

There’s another suplex but Hogan Hulks Up and clotheslines Sherri and Flair. Sherri gets tossed off the top and Flair goes up, only to get knocked down for the third time. A big boot puts Sherri down and Hogan Hulks Up again, including the big boot. Heenan: “NOT THE LEG! NOT THE LEG!” Hogan drops the leg to retain the title at 19:26.

Rating: C+. Well that was….a lot. You had about five people interfering, a cage and Mr. T. as a terrible referee (who kept getting in the way and then had to be handcuffed so he wouldn’t screw anything else up). By the end, it felt like they were just doing the same stuff over and over to fill in time. Hogan and Flair can work a good match pretty much in their sleep but this was about five minutes longer than it needed to be and it hurt things a good bit.

Muhammad Ali presents Hogan with the title as Heenan is in tears.

Overall Rating: C. Maybe it’s the amount of Hogan I’ve seen over the years, but I was kind of bored by this whole thing. There were a few nice rarities, mainly of Hogan in pre-NWO tag matches in WCW and a few matches here and there, but nothing really stood out. Rather than some kind of awesome look at his career, this felt more like a bunch of DVD extras after you watched all of the good stuff on the main feature. Like, the Flair and Savage matches are fine but how many times can you see those two go after Hogan before it stops being must see stuff? Hogan worked with just about everyone from his era, but this was a lot of mediocre at best stuff.

 

 

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Monday Night Raw
Date: May 18, 2026
Location: First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves

It’s the last show before Saturday Night’s Main Event and that only means so much for Raw. The big story continues to be Roman Reigns dealing with the force that is Jacob Fatu, though they don’t have another match set up just yet. There is still time to add it here, but there is also the option of sending it to Turin for Clash In Italy later this month. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

We open with a recap of last week’s brawl between Roman Reigns and Jacob Fatu, with Fatu leaving the champ laying.

Adam Pearce stops Reigns as he comes in, saying if Reigns had listened to him last week, none of that would happen. Reigns says that doesn’t matter because he’s calling Fatu out right now. Pearce wants Fatu fired but they’re cut off by Fatu coming to the arena. There were some very loud echoes in this segment for some reason.

Here is Fatu to call out Reigns but he gets the Usos instead. Jey comes out with a chair but Jimmy tries to keep the peace, as is his custom. Jimmy calls out Fatu for not thinking and costing himself last week. Fatu attacked management and now he’s about to get fired. Then what? Is Fatu going to go back to being his old self to help his family then? Jey goes after him but gets knocked down, with Fatu grabbing the Tongan Death Grip on Jimmy. Jey’s chair shot has no effect so he gets Death Gripped as well.

This brings out Reigns and the big fight is on, with Reigns even throwing in a big boot. The Superman Punch is countered into the Tongan Death Grip and the Usos have to make the save. A Superfly Splash and 1D put Fatu down and the Usos tie him in the ropes. Some Superman Punches and the spear leave Fatu out and here is Pearce. Reigns says something to him and Pearce seems ready to fire Fatu….who wants Tribal Combat. Pearce tries to calm things down but Reigns is in. No word on when that takes place but Fatu winning the title wouldn’t be the craziest thing.

Video on Judgment Day turning on Finn Balor, with JD McDonagh wanting revenge on him for turning on him after so many years. This feels a lot like a video they’ve aired between them before.

JD McDonagh vs. Finn Balor

Street fight so they go right outside with Balor whipping him into various things. The kendo sticks and chairs are brought in and McDonagh gets in a few shots of his own to take over. Balor sends him hard into the chair in the corner and it’s time for a table, only for McDonagh to suicide dive him for taking too long. They fight out into the crowd with Balor whipping him into an equipment case. McDonagh drives him right back into it as well and hits a hue moonsault off of the case as we take a break.

We come back with Balor planting McDonagh but walking into a release Rock Bottom onto the chair. A nice looking standing moonsault gives McDonagh two but Balor is back with the Sling Blade. McDonagh is knocked through the table in the corner and Balor goes up. The Coup de Grace misses though and McDonagh knees him down for two. The top rope moonsault hits Balor for two so McDonagh puts him on another table.

That takes way too long though and Balor switches places, only for Dominik Mysterio to run in and break up the Coup de Grace. A top rope superplex sends Balor through the table for two (and a roar on the kickout). Mysterio loads up the 619 but Balor switches places and McDonagh gets kicked in the face instead. Mysterio is knocked outside and it’s a Coup de Grace to a trashcan to McDonagh for the pin at 11:50.

Rating: B. This got a good bit better near the end, with McDonagh fighting hard to hang in there with the much more accomplished star. Mysterio’s interference costing McDonagh and the team in the end is pretty much par for his course these days and I’m not sure how long that can last. At the same time, I’m not sure what the endgame for Balor is supposed to be. He’s already beaten Mysterio, so what is he supposed to finish the feud for good?

We look at Seth Rollins helping the Street Profits last week but they aren’t interested.

Rollins says he has to finish things with the Vision and sometimes the best thing to do is run right at your problem. He hasn’t had a match on Raw in about nine months so we should remedy that tonight. Tonight he has been given the main event slot and he wants to face anyone on the team. He’d like it to be Bron Breakker, who says he can do it on his own, but what is Breakker? A nepo baby or everything that he is supposed to be? Tonight is Breakker’s chance to show Rollins who he really is. This was more intense than usual from Rollins and it worked.

Sol Ruca is excited to have done well in her limited time around here but Becky Lynch interrupts. Lynch doesn’t think much of Ruca’s efforts thus far and she hasn’t even faced the best. Ruca should go back to NXT, which she says she’ll do. Lynch calls her a quitter and here is Ruca in the arena.

Ruca is in the ring and gets right to the point by calling Lynch out. This brings out Lynch, who wants to know what Ruca is trying. Ruca wants to face Lynch right here tonight but gets shot down. Lynch goes into her catchphrase and Ruca is already sick of it, prompting Lynch to start over. After we hear about all of the people Lynch has dealt with already, she agrees to let Ruca face her at Saturday Night’s Main Event, with Ruca making it a title match. That’s too far for Lynch, who says Ruca hasn’t earned a shot yet (fair) so we won’t be doing that yet.

The Vision ask Paul Heyman about Saturday Night’s Main Event but Bron Breakker comes in to say make the match with Seth Rollins for tonight. Heyman says Austin Theory should do it instead so Breakker asks Theory and Logan Paul to leave. Breakker insists he can beat Rollins and while Heyman agrees, he points out that Rollins will be busy tonight and Breakker will know it in advance. Breakker approves.

Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americanos vs. El Grande Americano/Los Americanos

Tornado rules and in advance: I’m going to get these people mixed up more than once. Julio strikes away at Rayo to start ast he other four brawl on the floor. A fall away slam sends Rayo flying and it’s Grande coming in to slug it out with Original. The ankle lock has Grande in trouble but Rayo comes in for the save.

Los Americanos crotch Original against the post and we pause for some dancing. Bravo walks across some backs for a hurricanrana to Bruto but Julio is back up for a dive. Grande and Original hit dives of their own and everyone is down at ringside. Back in and Original hits Bravo with a top rope superplex for two and we take a break.

We come back with Original suplexing Los Americanos at the same time and then suplexing Grande for two. A top rope headbutt gets two on Bravo but Julio’s 450 misses. That’s enough for Grande and the Americanos to load up their masks but the other three hit stereo German suplexes. Graves: “There are no Germans in the ring Cole. We have six Mexicans!” A triple moonsault gets a triple near fall on Grande and Los Americanos but Bruto gets headbutted down. Grande’s running headbutt, with two more from Los Americanos, gets the pin at 10:38.

Rating: B-. This was another wild match, though I have no idea who the good guys were supposed to be. It’s perfectly clear in Mexico, but here things aren’t as simple. The match was a lot of fun and fairly wild, which made up for trying to figure all of that out. They need to wrap it up though, as this feud is going to start losing steam in a hurry otherwise.

Whataburger delivers to the Alpha Academy. Dang it now I want Whataburger.

We look back at the Bloodline vs. Jacob Fatu brawl earlier. Tribal Combat is set for Clash In Italy.

Video on Tribal Combat.

The Usos know what Tribal Combat is all about but here is LA Knight to interrupt. Jimmy says not now but Knight asks “or what”. Knight calls them out for doing the same things the three of them beat up the Vision for doing at Wrestlemania so what’s the difference? The Usos aren’t happy.

Ethan Page sits down with Michael Cole and brags about himself, including via a pre-written statement. Cole has to praise Page’s jawline but can’t get over Page wanting to rename the Intercontinental Title as the “Ethan Page Championship”. Cole can’t do this anymore and asks why Page acts like this. Cole praises Page’s skills but thinks his ego will cost him on Saturday. Page calls it confidence rather than ego and he’ll prove it at Saturday Night’s Main Event. To say Page is nailing it so far would be a drastic understatement. He’s slid into this role perfectly and it’s working very well.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Paige/Brie Bella vs. Judgment Day

Judgment Day, with Liv Morgan, is challenging. Paige throws Perez down to start and it’s off to Bella, who is knocked down just as fast. Rodriguez takes over and hands it back to Perez, who mocks the YES chant. That just fires Bella up and she fires off the YES Kicks, with Rodriguez breaking them up. Paige’s dive is cut off and she’s swung into the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Bella getting the tag and cleaning house but Rodriguez cuts her off. The spinning Vader Bomb is cut off and a double powerbomb brings Rodriguez back down. Perez takes Paige out though and Bella goes up, only for Morgan to shove her off. That’s enough for the big ejection so the title is brought in. Bella cuts that off and rolls Perez up to retain at 10:14.

Rating: C. And it continues. I know Paige and Bella are set for the title match against the Irresistible Forces but they continue to drain the life out of me every time they’re on screen. It’s not like they have some big, deep history together and Bella wasn’t exactly good on her best days. Now they’re the best team in a division which is actually getting pretty good? That’s quite a lot to take and it’s not exactly working for me.

Post match the Judgment Day jump the champs but Bayley and Lyra Valkyria make the save.

LA Knight comes up to Seth Rollins and says he can do this himself tonight, but it’s going to go badly. He needs help, so have fun getting stomped out.

Penta is sick of Ethan Page wanting the Intercontinental Title all for himself. He’ll take care of Page on Saturday.

Here is Oba Femi for his open challenge…and BROCK LESNAR RUNS IN to lay him out with four straight F5’s. Well that worked. I wasn’t completely sold on Lesnar being gone, but I didn’t expect him to come back on a pretty random Raw. Nice job.

Post break Adam Pearce is livid and Paul Heyman comes in. Pearce demands to know what happened but Heyman says Lesnar is retired. Heyman pulls out a contract, already signed by Lesnar, to face Femi at Clash In Italy. Pearce seems confused but interested.

Saturday Night’s Main Event rundown.

The Street Profits are ready for the Vision because they have the vision of winning the Tag Team Titles. Angelo Dawkins is distracted though and Montez Ford tells him to go. Dawkins goes over to Seth Rollins to thank him for last week. Rollins thanks him for that and apologizes for Dawkins getting taken out. For now though, he has a match of his own.

Seth Rollins vs. Austin Theory

Rollins jumps the Vision on the floor to start and hammers on Theory inside to start fast. Back in and Rollins stays on Theory, including a buckle bomb to knock him silly. Theory fights back and manages to send the ankle into the post, which should weaken the Stomp. Paul goes after Rollins and Theory crotches Rollins on the barricade as we take a break.

We come back with Rollins chopping away and countering the rolling dropkick into a sitout powerbomb for two. Rollins knocks him down again and loads up a super Stomp, only for Paul to shove Rollins down. Theory’s Stomp gets two so Paul slips him the knuckles, with Rollins superkicking Theory instead. Now Rollins gets the knuckles, with Paul pointing them out. Rollins grabs a Pedigree for the pin instead at 12:57.

Rating: B-. This was more about keeping the story moving forward than some big match and that’s all it needed to be. The idea was that Rollins was in over his head but at the end of the day, beating Theory in a singles match isn’t that difficult. If nothing else, I do appreciate Rollins mixing it up with the Pedigree for the pin for a change. That made sense and it worked.

Post match Paul comes in for the beatdown so here is Angelo Dawkins, followed by Montez Ford, for the save. Ford hits a big flip dive and tries to talk Dawkins out of this, only for Bron Breakker to run in and give Ford a Super Spear. Rollins makes the save but Paul grabs his leg, allowing Breakker to cut him in half as well. Security comes out but Breakker drops Rollins again before finally being pulled away. Adam Pearce threatens the Vision and they leave smiling to end the show. Kind of a weak ending.

Overall Rating: B-. This was the “oh dang, we’ve got two shows in less than two weeks so we need to hurry up” week and it went pretty well. The ending wasn’t the greatest, but the matches they set up look good enough. The big appeal here was the Lesnar return though, which was a rare genuine shock and that’s a very nice feeling to have. They’re blitzing to Saturday and Italy but I’ll take a rapid fire build over nothing at all.

Results
Finn Balor b. JD McDonagh – Coup de Grace to a trashcan
El Grande Americano/Los Americanos b. Original El Grande Americano/Los Hermanos Americans – Triple headbutt to Bruto
Brie Bella/Paige b. Judgment Day – Rollup to Perez
Seth Rollins b. Austin Theory – Pedigree

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Hall/e/B00E6282W6

You might have been noticing some faces popping up in WWE as of late and that’s not a great idea.

 

https://www.smarkdownsblog.com/wwe-celebrity-problem

It might actually be worse than I remembered.

 

https://411mania.com/wrestling/halls-wwe-hell-in-a-cell-2019-review/

Smackdown
Date: May 15, 2026
Location: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, South Carolina
Commentators: Joe Tessitore, Wade Barrett

We are on the way to Saturday Night’s Main Event and then Clash In Italy, with Gunther set to come after Cody Rhodes and the World Title. That should be enough to make the latter show work, but there isn’t much time to get the rest of the two shows set up. We’ll need to do some work in that area this week so let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Long Backlash recap.

Here is local hero Trick Williams to quite the reaction (having the University of South Carolina mascot with him helps). Williams talks about his time at the local high school, university and restaurant. That’s where he dubbed the shoes the Lemon Pepper Steppers and now his family is here to watch him.

Cue the Miz and Kit Wilson, with Miz mocking the mascot and thinking Big Bird is next. Lil Yachty mocks them for being cursed so Wilson busts out the slam poetry book. After mocking Williams and Yachty, it turns out that trying to outrhyme a professional rapper is a bad idea, as Yachty destroys them both. Miz wants a fight right now so Williams smacks Wilson in the face and knocks Miz outside.

Quick sidenote here: Yachty continues to work well as Williams’ associate because he’s just that: an associate. Yachty is NEVER the main focus of these segments and is mainly there as a hype man for Williams, who is the real star. Compare this to Jelly Roll or Pat McAfee, who were regularly given so much more focus and became the biggest parts of some segments. That’s a key difference and it’s why Yachty hasn’t overstayed his welcome.

Miz vs. Trick Williams

Non-title. Miz is wrestling in a shirt as Williams starts fast with a jumping clothesline. Miz gets in a shot of his own and goes up top but dives into a right hand to the ribs. The comeback cuts Williams off again and Miz gets to rip the shirt off before mocking the parents. Williams gets in a neckbreaker and unloads with stomps in the corner. The threat of a Trick Kick sends Miz bailing to the floor, where Williams sends him into the barricade

Wilson gets in a cheap shot though and Miz kicks Williams through the ropes as we take a break. We come back with Williams striking away and getting two off a Rock Bottom. Miz’s short DDT gets one and he fires off the kicks to the chest. A flapjack cuts Miz off but he grabs the Skull Crushing Finale for two more. The frustrated Miz grabs a kendo stick but Yachty takes it away and beats up Wilson. The Trick Shot finishes Miz at 11:19 (and Williams is VERY fired up).

Rating: B. That might be high but I do love listening to a crowd carry a match to a much higher level. That was the case here, as the fans loved seeing Williams and he was clearly having the time of his life in front of his hometown crowd. Miz can still make someone look good and Williams kicking out of an established finisher is only going to help him. Good stuff here with Williams winning as a special moment.

Carmelo Hayes is ready to face Ricky Saints because when he shoots, he doesn’t miss. Saints comes in to say the world has changed since Hayes was here. Hayes is ready to humble him.

Sami Zayn apologizes to Nick Aldis for his recent actions and wants one more shot at Trick Williams. Aldis says Zayn has to earn it, which has Zayn losing his mind about how everything is changing. Rey Fenix comes up and doesn’t want to hear it.

Paige and Brie Bella are ready for anyone, including the invading Irresistible Forces.

Women’s Tag Team Titles: Brie Bella/Paige vs. Giulia/Kiana James

Giulia and James are challenging. James easily shoves Bella down to start so Paige comes in for a kick to the ribs. A bulldog gives Bella two and it’s off to Giulia, who unloads on Paige in the corner. Back up and Paige hits a kick of her own, followed by the rapid fire knees in the ropes. James posts Paige though and we take a break.

We come back with Paige sunset bombing Giulia out of the corner and making the tag off to Bella. The running knees in the ropes and YES Kicks connect on both of them followed by the Bella Buster for two on James. A facebuster sets up Giulia’s northern lights bomb for two, with Paige making the save this time. The Rampaige finishes James to retain the titles at 9:01.

Rating: C+. They kept this fairly short when you factor out the commercial time and that makes sense. Giulia and James didn’t feel like major challengers for the titles so don’t stretch the match out any longer than it needed. At the same time, Paige and Bella don’t feel like a long term team so they feel a bit vulnerable every time they defend the belts. That helps a bit and it was a fine enough balance here.

We look at Gunther trying to jump Cody Rhodes last week and not having the most success.

Tiffany Stratton is interrupted by Kiana James and Giulia arguing. With that out of the way, Chelsea Green interrupts but Stratton isn’t impressed.

Here is Cody Rhodes with the contract to face Gunther. He builds his own contract signing set and Rhodes calls Gunther out. Cue Gunther who talks about how much time he put into planning this, but Rhodes was a typical American who has to make it all about himself. All Gunther wants Rhodes to do is ask nicely and not make it weird. Gunther tries to walk him through it but Royce Keys of all people interrupts.

If Gunther won’t say it, he will, and Keys goes to sign. Gunther cuts that off so here is Nick Aldis to say Gunther didn’t sign, so tonight it’s Keys vs. Gunther for the title shot. That’s fine with Rhodes, who respects Keys, but gives him the same “easy to find, hard to beat” line. Of note: Keys’ shirt looks a bit like an old Nasty Boys design so he’s on the right track.

Solo Sikoa tells Tama Tonga to deal with Damian Priest tonight and then leaves with Talla Tonga. Shinsuke Nakamura comes up to Tama…and gets jumped by Talla, who puts him through a table.

Gunther yells at Nick Aldis about the Keys match but Aldis says Gunther can only blame himself.

Carmelo Hayes vs. Ricky Saints

Saints hammers away to start fast before they trade armdrags. Hayes’ dropkick connects but Saints is right back with the strutting Old School. Hayes is fine enough to tie him in the ropes for the Fadeaway and there’s the running flip dive to the floor. We take a break and come back with Hayes tossing him off the top, where Hayes’ frog splash can launch for two. The First 48 is countered into a Snowplow for two and we hit a chinlock while going split screen for a movie trailer.

Hayes fights up and scores with a springboard shot to the face. The La Mistica faceplant gives Hayes two more but so does Saints’ Deep Six. Another First 48 attempt connects but Nothing But Net misses, allowing Saints to grab a tornado DDT for two of his own. The frustrated Saints sends him into the corner and a rollup with feet on the ropes gets two. Saints spends so much time yelling at the referee that Hayes gets a rollup (with his own feet on the rope) for the pin at 12:10.

Rating: B-. This was a good back and forth match, with the two of them trading near falls and big moves until Hayes gave Saints the same thing right back. I wasn’t sure who was going to win here so the result was something of a surprise. It’s also nice to see Hayes getting a win after a bad stretch so maybe he has a future around here.

R-Truth thanks Royce Keys for helping with the MFT’s and says he can get Keys in the Judgment Day. Damian Priest comes in to suggest he doesn’t trust Keys, who Solo Sikoa hasn’t touched. R-Truth can go with that, but he has to stay in the back tonight as he isn’t medically cleared.

Danhausen goes into his lab and answers his old phone. Then he wheels out what looks like a Frankenstein’s monster and types a lot.

Tama Tonga vs. Damien Priest

They slug it out to start until Priest gets in a big boot to the head. Tonga is sent outside but comes off the steps with a clothesline to put Priest down as we take an early break. We come back with Tonga reversing a Razor’s Edge attempt into a sleeper. That’s broken up as well so Tonga switches to a dragon screw legwhip.

Priest fires up and strikes away again, with the Broken Arrow connecting for two. The threat of the rebound lariat sends Tonga outside, where Priest sends him crashing over the announcers’ table. Back in and Tonga crotches him on top, setting up a neckbreaker for two. Priest gets fired up though and grabs the South Of Heaven for the pin at 9:56.

Rating: B-. This was a nice power match, with Priest taking what Tonga threw at him and getting the win. Priest is doing fine enough as part of a team but he needs some success on his own again. That was what he got here, and it made him look like that chokeslam is quite the weapon if used right.

Post match the MFT’s run in to beat Priest down.

Sami Zayn rants to Johnny Gargano, who still won’t move. Candice LeRae comes in and isn’t impressed, though Zayn rants some more.

We look back at Jade Cargill returning last week and laying out Rhea Ripley.

Here are Cargill and her lackeys for a chat. Cargill isn’t surprised that people change their tunes when she is in their face. At Clash In Italy, she gets her title back but here are Charlotte and Alexa Bliss to interrupt. Charlotte is ready to go after Cargill, who doesn’t seem impressed. Instead, Charlotte and Bliss are ready for their scheduled match.

Blake Monroe? Still on her way.

Charlotte/Alexa Bliss vs. B-Fab/Michin

Charlotte and Michin start things off, with Michin heading outside rather quickly. Back in and Charlotte easily wrestles her down, with Michin going after the leg. A headscissors drops Charlotte again and Michin kicks away. Charlotte is right back to knock her into the corner, meaning Bliss and B-Fab come in for a double change. Bliss takes her down but misses the flipping splash and dives into a swinging Downward Spiral.

We take a break and come back with Bliss still in trouble and Charlotte being suckered in. Bliss fights out of the double teaming and grabs a DDT. That’s enough to bring in Charlotte and house is quickly cleaned. Back to back fall away slams send B-Fab and Michin flying but Cargill distracts Charlotte. That’s enough for a double big boot to put Charlotte down but she’s fine enough to get the Figure Eight on B-Fab. Michin’s save doesn’t work, though Charlotte lets go anyway. It’s back to Bliss for a wind up DDT, only for Cargill to pull her out for the DQ at 11:59.

Rating: C+. Things got a bit wild at the end but it was the right way to go, as Cargill continues to annoy Charlotte, which is likely setting up a big showdown. B-Fab and Michin are at least more in their element as lackeys, though it felt like Charlotte could have wiped either of them out at any time. Bliss and Charlotte continue to work well together, and a lot of that is due to not splitting the team up far too early.

Post match Charlotte clears out the lackeys but Cargill doesn’t seem interested.

Fatal Influence doesn’t seem impressed because they’re a real team who will get all of the gold. And yes that’s a threat.

Charlotte isn’t happy with Rhea Ripley for not being here and isn’t used to needing help. Alexa Bliss doesn’t seem thrilled but says they need help no matter what.

We look back at the Roman Reigns/Jacob Fatu brawl from Raw, with Fatu smashing Reigns again.

Solo Sikoa still tries to get Royce Keys on his side and threatens violence otherwise. Keys still doesn’t buy this.

Here’s what’s coming next week.

Here’s what’s coming at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Gunther vs. Royce Keys

For the title shot at Clash In Italy. Gunther flips him into the corner and shouts a lot, earning a shove out to the floor. Back in and Gunther grabs a headlock but loses an exchange of shoulders. Gunther charges into a powerslam for two, which had Gunther outside again. This time Keys sends him into the barricade a few times and then over the announcers’ table.

We take a break and come back with Gunther getting caught with a clothesline to leave them both down again. Keys wins a fight over a suplex but gets knocked down with the chops. Gunther gets pulled off the apron and dropped onto the announcers’ table but is fine enough to hit the big clothesline back inside. The top rope splash is cut off for a superplex though and they’re both down again.

Gunther is able to get the sleeper though…and here is Solo Sikoa. Keys gets up and wins a battle of the clotheslines but gets caught in the sleeper again. That’s broken up as well and Keys Pounces Gunther right into the referee. Sikoa throws Keys a chair, which he throws right back into Sikoa’s face. The distraction lets Gunther hit a clothesline and the powerbomb for the pin and the title shot at 15:52.

Rating: B. This was a solid back and forth power match, with Keys being able to hang with the monster Gunther. Not many people are able to say that but Keys made it work pretty well here. You can tell Keys still has a lot of polishing to go in the ring, though having Gunther there to walk him through things had to help a lot. It’s not some classic, but it did show that Keys can do something like this in the right situation.

Post match Cody Rhodes runs in to lay Gunther out with the Cross Rhodes to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. As has been the case a lot of the time with these three hour shows, it really does lose some steam in there, even with a pretty good main event. There just comes a point where fans are ready to do something else though and three hours is usually beyond that ending. It’s not even a bad show, but it would be so much better with less time to fill.

Results
Trick Williams b. The Miz – Trick Shot
Paige/Brie Bella b. Kiana James/Giulia – Rampaige to James
Carmelo Hayes b. Ricky Saints – Rollup with feet on the ropes
Damian Priest b. Tama Tonga – South Of Heaven
Charlotte/Alexa Bliss b. Michin/B-Fab via DQ when Jade Cargill interfered

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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Underrated Backlash Classics
Commentators: Tom Philips, Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler, Paul Heyman

Tis the season I guess as the WWE Vault is looking back at Backlash over the years. It’s a series that started almost thirty years ago and that means there is quite a bit too look back on these days. At the same time, looking at the underrated stuff is often a lot more interesting than seeing the more famous stuff again. Let’s get to it.

From Backlash 2018.

US Title: Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy

Hardy is defending. Orton knocks him down with a shoulder to start but Hardy comes back up with a dropkick. That’s enough for Orton to be sent to the floor for a big clothesline from the apron, only for Orton to come back with a dropkick of his own. The Whisper In The Wind is broken up and Hardy gets tied in the Tree Of Woe. Orton stomps away (yes seriously) in the corner and Hardy is knocked outside.

That’s fine with Hardy, who hits his half of Poetry In Motion against the barricade. Back in and the springboard is cut off with another rather awesome Orton dropkick and Hardy crashes out to the floor. Back in and Hardy is dropped ribs first across the top rope, setting up the chinlock. Hardy fights up and knocks him down for the legdrop between the legs. A basement dropkick connects as well, followed by the Whisper In The Wind for two.

Orton is back up with a powerslam for two more but Hardy kicks him into the corner. The slingshot dropkick (dubbed the Hardiac Arrest, a name which never caught on) misses though and the hanging DDT drops Hardy again. The RKO is loaded up but Hardy reverses into a quick Twist Of Fate. That and the Swanton retains the title at 11:50.

Rating: B-. It was good seeing Hardy get a win over Orton, even if it wasn’t quite when Hardy was at his peak. It’s no surprise that these two can have a good match together as they’re both rather talented and have some history. They were firmly in the midcard here and it makes sense to put them together like this, as you know it’s going to be pretty good at the worst.

From Backlash 2000.

Light Heavyweight Title: Dean Malenko vs. Scotty 2 Hotty

Malenko is defending and jumps Malenko to start but Scotty hits a backdrop. A clothesline gives Scotty two but the bulldog is cut off with Malenko’s own clothesline. Malenko starts working on the leg and drops some elbows before cranking away. The leg is wrapped around the post a few times and Malenko drops an elbow on the knee to cut off a comeback attempt. Scotty’s leg is kicked out again and Malenko baseball slides the leg to keep things fresh.

A rollup gets two on Malenko, who blasts Scotty with a clothesline to cut him off again. Back up and Malenko kind of tackles him out to the floor for a double crash. They get back in and Malenko superplexes him down and they both need a breather. The Texas Cloverleaf is countered into a small package for two but Malenko suplexes him down.

Scotty escapes a powerbomb though and hits the bulldog into the Worm for two. Malenko’s rollup gets caught with his feet on the ropes so he goes with a heck of a tiger driver for two instead. Malenko actually goes up top so Scotty follows, only to get pulled into a super DDT to retain at 11:48.

Rating: B-. I knew that ending was coming and it still looked great as Malenko planted him. The Light Heavyweight Title didn’t have the greatest history in the WWF but this was one of the better matches. It’s kind of annoying that Scotty is so well remembered for the goofy stuff as he could certainly go in the ring, though I’d assume his bank account doesn’t quite see it that way.

From Backlash 2006 (I was there).

Money In The Bank/Intercontinental Title: Rob Van Dam vs. Shelton Benjamin

This is winner take all. Benjamin wrestles him down with ease to start before starting in on the arm. Van Dam reverses into a wristlock of his own but gets taken down with an armdrag, leaving him a bit impressed. A rollup gives Van Dam two and Benjamin hides in the corner for a change. Van Dam kicks him down to the floor and Benjamin kicks the steps to blow off some steam.

Back in and Van Dam kicks him down again, setting up a slingshot dive to the floor. With Van Dam on the apron, Benjamin hits a running sunset bomb to the floor for the nasty crash and Van Dam is in trouble for a change. We hit a chinlock with a knee in the back, followed by a running knee lift for two. The reverse chinlock goes on for a bit, with Van Dam fighting back.

The kicks put Benjamin down, only for the Rolling Thunder to be countered into a Samoan drop for two more. Van Dam fights up again and goes to the top, where Benjamin jumps from the mat to the floor for a superplex and another near fall. Benjamin’s dropkick misses though and Van Dam makes the clothesline comeback. A springboard kick to the face sets up Rolling Thunder to give Van Dam two and they’re both back up.

Van Dam’s step over kick to the face connects but the Five Star misses. A nice DDT (Van Dam always sold those well) gives Benjamin two so he sends Van Dam face first into the apron. Back in and Van Dam rolls through a high crossbody for two but the referee gets bumped. Benjamin grabs the briefcase but Van Dam takes it away and hits a Van Daminator. The Five Star gives Van Dam the pin and the title at 18:41.

Rating: B. I’ve seen this match quite a few times and it has grown on me over the years. It’s longer than it needs to be but there is something to be said about seeing Van Dam facing someone more athletic. You don’t see him have to go there very often but he knows how to make a comeback. Good match here, even if Van Dam would lose the title back very shortly thereafter.

From Backlash 2001.

Hardcore Title: Raven vs. Rhyno

Rhyno is defending and misses an early Gore attempt, hitting a stop sign by mistake. A running trashcan shot to the head gives Raven two but Rhyno’s running shoulder connects in the corner. Raven gets kicked out to the floor for two and Rhyno sends him into the steps. A jumping clothesline off the steps drops Rhyno for two and Raven sends him back inside…to knock him right back to the floor. Rhyno trashcan lids him down for two more so let’s get a shopping cart.

Said cart hits Raven in the face on the way back inside but he drops toeholds Rhyno face first into the cart. Some street sign shots to the head put Rhyno down and a bulldog out of the corner gets two. Rhyno is back up with the cart, which is knocked down onto his face and then driven into his ribs in the corner. Another shot cuts Raven off though and Rhyno Gores…the cart, even getting stuck inside of it. Raven unloads on him with a sink, which just wakes Rhyno up so he can hit the Gore for the retaining pin at 8:12.

Rating: B. This was about two guys beating each other up and making the weapon stuff feel better than usual. The shopping cart was a nice bonus and the Gore that went into it is certainly a memorable spot. You don’t see these matches reach this level very often but dang they made it work here. Heck of a match.

From Backlash 2002.

Cruiserweight Title: Tajiri vs. Billy Kidman

Kidman is defending and gets sent into the corner to start, meaning it’s time for the tradition exchange of chops. A catapult sends Kidman into the corner but he comes back out with a missile dropkick. The fans respond by chanting for Torrie Wilson (in Tajiri’s corner and forced to wear a rather covering robe) and Kidman is knocked into the ropes.

Tajiri heads outside and hits a heck of a kick to the head for two. The chinlock goes on for a bit before Kidman is sent back first into the post. The backbreaker keeps Kidman in trouble and the Tarantula makes it even worse. With that broken up, Tajiri’s handspring elbow is dropkicked away but Tajiri kicks him right back down.

A bridging rollup gets two so Tajiri superkicks him for two more. The powerbomb (which Tajiri is so known for using) is countered into a faceplant but Kidman misses the shooting star press. Tajiri’s Buzzsaw Kick gets two (that was a surprise) so they head up top. A super sitout spinebuster gives Kidman two but Tajiri mists him down for the title at 9:11.

Rating: C+. That near fall off the Buzzsaw Kick was good, as was Kidman’s top rope spinebuster but that’s about all that stood out here. I kept waiting for Wilson to get involved but nothing ever happened. It’s a good enough match, but Kidman was almost squashed for a lot of it.

Overall Rating: B. Yeah this was fun, as Backlash has a nice built in advantage from coming straight off of Wrestlemania. You have some momentum coming in and get some good stuff on the card as well. That was the case here, as you had some matches with Wrestlemania fallout and some stuff which was just good on its own. I liked this as a flashback, as there has been some quality stuff at this show over the years, even without touching the main events.

 

 

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Evolve
Date: May 13, 2026
Location: WWE Performance Center, Orlando, Florida
Commentators: Peter Rosenberg, Blake Howard

We’re coming up on another Evolve Title match and in this case we have a four way to crown a new #1 contender. That should make for a good main event and I’m curious to see which way they go. Other than that, we might be seeing some of the names who are on their way to NXT wrapping things up around here. Let’s get to it.

Here are last week’s results if you need a recap.

Kam Hendrix and Harley Riggins arrive and talk about how it’s time for Hendrix to get the Evolve Title. I kind of like these little recaps as done by the wrestlers, as it’s a bit of a change of pace from the usual narrated versions or just showing clips.

Opening sequence.

Nikkita Lyons vs. Karmen Petrovic

Lyons drops outside at the bell before coming back inside so they can both miss some kicks. Legsweeps miss for both of them as well so Petrovic kicks Lyons’ hand. Petrovic grabs a headlock to cut off the kicks, only to get hit in the stomach. Back up and Petrovic hits her in the stomach as well, followed by a hair takedown, allowing Petrovic to mock the hand licking thing.

The headlock goes on again, with Lyons going down to the mat this time. A double arm crank keeps Lyons in trouble as Petrovic is getting a lot of control here. Petrovic switches to a full nelson with her legs but Lyons gets up for a fall away slam. We take a break and come back with Lyons working on Petrovic’s ribs and dropping the splits splash. A running shoulder in the corner stays on the bad ribs and Lyons bends the back over her knee.

Petrovic fights up and grabs a suplex, followed by the sliding kick to the chest. A Sling Blade gives Petrovic two but Lyons knocks her down, only to miss a Vader Bomb. Cue Sloane Jacobs for a distraction but Laynie Luck runs out to cut her off. Wendy Choo pops up to trip Lyons and the Petrifier gives Petrovic the pin at 9:06.

Rating: C+. This was mainly a bunch of strikes and that’s what it should have been, as it’s their signature styles. At the same time, the ending gives Choo some revenge on Lyons and hopefully it wraps up their story. Petrovic doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, but at least she got a win here.

Brooks Jensen comes up to Dorian Van Dux, who offers to take Jensen’s advice…and throw it in the trash. Dux says something in French but Jensen doesn’t care where Dux is from because Jensen just wants to beat someone up. Jensen still does not feel remotely important.

Here is Harlem Lewis who calls out Braxton Cole for awakening something inside of him. Cole lost the Evolve Title match so he wants the loser out here right now. Cue Cole, with Lewis getting ready to go after him. The security guards come out and get between them, leaving Cole to mock Lewis for not having as wealthy of an upbringing.

Tate Wilder comes up to a depressed Romeo Moreno. Wilder doesn’t like the mindset and says Evolve is about developing and growing. Wilder lost a lot when he got here and look at how far he has come. It’s just a matter of time before Moreno rises up as well. Moreno seems to appreciate the kind words.

Tristan Angels is ready to become #1 contender because he’s an Englishman facing some Americans and a Belgian. Why would he be worried about someone from a country famous for chocolates and waffles? The Americans are nothing to worry about either because he’s tough and handsome.

CJ Valor vs. It’s Gal

Valor’s friends are here too as he misses a charge into the corner to start. Gal strikes away and wrestles him down to the mat, meaning it’s time for some posing. A running hurricanrana and enziguri drop Valor, setting up a double legdrop for two. Valor fights out of a waistlock and judo throws Gal down for two of his own.

Gal gets whipped hard into the corner and we hit the chinlock. That’s broken up and Gal fights back, including throwing Valor out of the corner. A springboard dropkick gives Gal two but valor pulls him into an ankle lock. That’s broken up and Gal forearms away, drawing Max Abrams to the apron. Jacari Ball chop blocks Gal and a pop up spinebuster gives Valor the pin at 5:25.

Rating: C. Gal as a good guy is still a new experiment but he was so over the top that he had to go in this direction. On the other hand you have the new evil group and it makes perfect sense for them to get a win by cheating. This went fine, though the action was just pretty ok all things considered.

Post match the group gets in the ring, with Abrams bragging about all of their skills and what they bring to the team. Apparently they are the Mog Squad. Howard: “I don’t get it.”

Cappuccino Jones is filmed from behind a bush and is heard on the phone, seemingly bringing in reinforcements.

Gianna Capri blames her first loss on Anya Rune. Veronica Haven doesn’t like the disrespect but Rune gets up to say she’s going to get a match against Layla Diggs. Capri still isn’t impressed.

Dorian Van Dux vs. Kam Hendrix vs. Tristan Angels vs. Brooks Jensen

For a title shot against Aaron Rourke, who is in the VIP area. Dux and Jensen jaw at each other but get jumped and sent outside. Hendrix backslides Angels for two and Jensen rolls Hendrix up for the same. Dux is back up with a double missile dropkick and snaps off a running hurricanrana to Angels.

A flipping clothesline causes Jensen to DDT Hendrix and Angels sends Jensen outside. Dux’s clothesline to the back of Angels’ head gets two but Angels crotches him on top. Hendrix dives onto Dux on the floor and Jensen hits a dive off the top to Hendrix and Angels. Dux moonsaults onto all of them and we take a break.

We come back with Dux tossing Jensen onto Hendrix and powerbombing Angels onto the two of them. They fight up until a 3D gives Jensen two on Angels. Dux and Jensen slug it out until Jensen hits a running lariat. Dux’s Stundog Millionaire gets him out of trouble and a shooting star press hits Angels for two, with Hendrix making a save.

Cue Tate Wilder to go after Hendrix and Jensen removes his boot to knock Dux silly. A Neutralizer hits Dux but Angels steals the cover for two. Dux half crabs Angels until Jensen kicks Dux…to no avail. Jensen hammers away to break it up but gets dropped with a clothesline. Angels’ rollup gets two and Dux gives him a springboard cutter. Jensen knocks Dux outside but gets small packaged to give Angels the pin at 9:12.

Rating: B-. This was a bunch of good action and it had the Jensen vs. Dux feud to keep the match going. Dux got to show off some athleticism here, with the flips and fast paced offense looking impressive. Angels has been treated as an important deal and it makes sense to have him get the title shot. It wouldn’t shock me to see him win the title, which very well may be where we’re going from here.

Rourke and Angels stare each other down to end the show.

Overall Rating: B-. I love this kind of show, as it felt like they had a bunch of stuff to cover and they made it work. It was an effective show and covered a few different stories, including setting up Rourke’s next challenger for the title. That’s all you need sometimes as the big show is probably coming soon. It’s not a must see show, but it kept things moving for another week.

Results
Karmen Petrovic b. Nikkita Lyons – Petrifier
CJ Valor b. It’s Gal – Pop up spinebuster
Tristan Angels b. Brooks Jensen, Dorian Van Dux and Kam Hendrix – Small package to Jensen

 

 

Remember to follow me on Twitter and Bluesky @kbreviews and head over to my Amazon author page with 30 different cheap wrestling books at:

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